By Student Affairs
Thursday, 07 15 2021

The Summer 2022 Family Orientation season commenced on Saturday, June 16th, with a whopping 90 family members, and concluded on Saturday, July 30th. With intentionality in mind and a mindset of creating partners in student success, Family Orientation provides a well-rounded experience that includes experiential learning, resources, and informative information for initial enrollment and continuity with the institution. This year's attendees at orientation ranged from babies in strollers to grandparents serving as the primary guardians of their grandchildren. Within the first seven family orientations, the Office of Family Engagement has welcomed nearly 500 family members to campus and, as is tradition, walked them through the ceremonial pinning of the jaguar head lapel pin just before lunch on each orientation date.  

Family members are provided with various opportunities to ask questions of staff and administrators at the university to clarify any remaining questions, put minds to rest, and assist in university processes. Family members even have the opportunity to gain insight from a current student's perspective. Additionally, it is just as important for family members to experience some of the things their students will do during their transition. We do this through the initial separation of students and family after the welcome, networking bingo, assigning high five buddies, having them pin each other, and encouraging them to build their support group by getting to know other families during orientation by joining Family Association. 

This year, we achieved a new record for family attendance on Saturday, July 16th, with over 150 family members in attendance. 

After each day, family members always approach the orientation staff with gratitude for the information, appreciation of the flow and layout of the day, with a much better understanding given that the majority are first-generation family members, and many desire to be more engaged and involved at the university level for themselves and their students. 

"Research shows that family engagement plays a critical part in a student's academic success, and when students have school, parental, and community support, higher education is seen as the norm. Higher education becomes the expectation rather than the exception." -College Board.

 

Welcome Families to the Jaguar Family!

 

Check out the event photos!