Parents & Family Resources
August 2005 Monthly Email
Greetings from Colorado State University Parent & Family Programs!
I am pleased to send this August email to you as a subscribed member of the CSU Parent and Family listserve. I hope you have had a good summer and are eager to launch your student to Colorado State University next week! We have been working hard to prepare for the students’ return to campus and look forward to the hustle and bustle of a new academic year.
My name is Jody Donovan and I serve as the Director of Student Transitions and Parent & Family Programs at Colorado State University. This is a long title, but it does a good job of describing my work. I am focused on helping your students transition into, through, and out of Colorado State University and I also am here to focus on the needs, questions and concerns of students’ parents & families. I am located in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, 201 Administration Building, and my email address is jody.donovan@colostate.edu. Feel free to email or visit me if you have any questions or concerns while your student is enrolled at Colorado State University.
The new format for the CSU Parent & Family Monthly Emails has eliminated many of the bells and whistles that tended to crash some of the slower, dial-up connections last year. Instead, we have focused on delivering helpful information to you, the parents and families of our Colorado State University students. We know that many students call home when they are confused or have questions and my goal is to provide you with information so you can be a helpful resource and guide from home, referring your students to the offices or services here on campus.
We hope that many first year students and their families will join us for Ram Welcome: Experience CSU! next week. The residence halls open at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 18, 2005. At 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, residence hall students will meet with their floormates and resident assistants, commuter students will meet together in the Commons Area in the lower level of the Lory Student Center, and parents and families are invited to attend the Ice Cream Social with Campus Leaders in the Middle & West Ballrooms of the Lory Student Center. Later that evening, students and family members will have a terrific time together at our Ram Welcome Carnival, complete with rides, amusement park games, and many opportunities to win great prizes. The Carnival is designed to celebrate families, so we hope you will join us (family members of all ages will enjoy this event). All first year students received a Ram Welcome schedule in their billing statement, however, you can also visit the website: www.ramwelcome.colostate.edu to get an updated view of the weekend’s events. It is very important that first year students arrive to campus on Thursday, August 18 because they spend Friday with their academic colleges, meeting faculty and learning about the academic expectations for CSU students. There are wonderful events and activities planned throughout the weekend to assist students in their transition to collegiate life as well as the Fort Collins community. Upper-class students are invited to volunteer to help with Ram Welcome and can register for volunteering at the same website through the Volunteering link.
Attached is a helpful guide for typical issues and questions for students (and families!) during the month of August. The information is relevant for first year, transfer and returning students and their families. Please take a moment to print it out, read it, perhaps even post it on the refrigerator for future reference!
We are so very pleased that your student has selected Colorado State University for their academic journey and we look forward to a great partnership with both you and your student!
Sincerely,
Jody Donovan, Director
Student Transitions and Parent & Family Programs
Colorado State University
201 Administration Building
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970) 491-5312