FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PARENTAL ISSUES
Q. What if I have a question or my student has a problem, but I don't know who to call?
A. The Director of Donor Relations & Parent Programs, Mona Wyatt, is available as a resource to parents who need help getting answers to questions. For assistance, please call Mona Wyatt, (859) 238-5345.
Her office is located on the 2nd floor of Old Centre. If she's not in, her assistant, Amy Wilson, can be reached at (859) 238-5208, and she'll be happy to help you, too.
Q. What if I have an after-hours emergency? What if I need to get emergency information to my student?
A. You may contact the Department of Public Safety on their 24-hour line at (859) 236-HELP (4357). They will have emergency contact information for staff members on call or can direct you to someone who can help.
Q. Are there any resources available to parents who are sending their first child to college or are experiencing the "Empty Nest Syndrome?"
A. There are quite a few actually. Click here for a Recommended Reading list. In particular, we recommend the book Letting Go, by Karen Coburn and Madge Treeger. The Centre Bookstore has copies of it and other parent books that might be helpful.
Q. How can I remain current with what is happening at Centre?
A. Sign up for CentreWire and receive all the latest news and happenings at Centre College. Simply go to:
http://callisto.centre.edu/mailman/listinfo/centrewire and sign up for free today.
You may also sign up for the Career Services eNewsletter by emailing Deborah Jones, Director of Career Services, at deb.jones@centre.edu or by visiting the Career Services website at http://web.centre.edu/careerd/parents.htm.
In addition, the Office of Parent Programs will mail you a copy of the student handbook in the fall of the first year, and you will receive two Parent Newsletters every year, as well as the Centre alumni magazine, the Centrepiece.
The Centre web page at www.centre.edu is also an excellent source. Click on the Parents Link at the top to access the parent web page. It should keep you well informed.
Q. Is there an organization for Centre parents?
A. YES!! The Centre Parents Association counts every current parent as a member. Its purpose is to promote the relationship of Centre parents to the College by sponsoring and co-sponsoring campus events such as Family Weekend, the Parents Fund, new student orientation and welcome, newsletters from campus, free breakfast stations for students during finals, and senior week activities. As a parent, you will receive two Parent Newsletters each year, and special mailings as needed. This will keep you up to date on all activities at the College.
The Parents Committee is the executive body of the Centre Parents Association. This advisory group makes decisions about the projects supported by the Parent Fund and provides leadership in parent giving, as well as other parent activities. They also host the breakfast stations during final exams and other events for parents and students, such as the fall welcome. This year's officers are:
Chairs - Kirk & Annie Lee Pilkington, Charlottesville, VA
Chairs-Elect - Pete & Ashley Gairing, St. Petersburg, FL
Parents Fund Chairs - Dale & Becky Robbins, Lakewood, NY
Q. How can I communicate with my student?
A. MAIL - All students are assigned a campus mail box. The address for Centre students is: NAME, Centre College, 600 W. Walnut Street, Danville, KY 40422. Ann and Suzetta, our campus post office managers, will be putting the mail in their box each day and will know them on a first-name basis in a very short time. We recommend that you write notes often and send packages from home. They love nothing better than receiving mail, especially if it includes some surprise goodies. EMAIL - Each student will have an email account, and we suggest that you email frequently - short, encouraging emails, with "newsy" items about your family and home or your community. Don't expect a lot in return - they're busy, but they will appreciate hearing from you!
PHONE - Well, students will have campus phone numbers and voicemail, but most of them prefer to use their cell phones. Also, as you already know, they keep strange hours, so don't expect them to answer every time you ring! What works best for most parents is to set a definite time to call - Sunday afternoons might be best, or late Saturday morning. Determine this before your child leaves home.
The area code is 859 and the prefix is 238- plus the 4-digit extension. Nearly all campus numbers have this prefix. You may always call the CAMPUS SWITCHBOARD during the week, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (859) 238-5200, and Donna Phillips can help you find campus offices and individuals. THE COLLEGE DOES NOT RELEASE STUDENT PHONE NUMBERS - not even to parents. This is for the safety of our students, so if you lose your child's number, Donna will gladly connect you to the room, but she will not release the phone number. If you need emergency help getting in touch with your student or finding a campus staff member on the weekends, please contact our department of public safety at (859) 236-HELP (4357). Our officers are on duty 24-hours a day and are happy to assist you in any way.
VISITS - Shall I drop by for a visit? NO. We certainly don't have a problem with it, but most students will appreciate knowing that you're coming ahead of time. You know your student best, but in general, we recommend that you respect their schedules (and their possibly messy room) and let them know you are on your way. Also, keep your visit short. Remember that being the "host" is a new role for them. They may not know what to do with you or how to entertain you! Help them out - take them off campus to a favorite restaurant or shopping. They will enjoy seeing you and being with you, being fed and spoiled a little, showing off the campus and their friends, but then, they will want to get back into their routine. Q. Are there ways I can be involved with the College as a parent?
A. BE ENGAGED. First, we assume that you'll be supportive of your son or daughter as they encounter the many challenges that college life brings. Listening is often the main thing they want from you. But, you can also show your interest by asking questions about their classwork -- beyond "what are you taking?" and "what grades did you make?" (although those are important questions, too)! Express genuine interest in what they're learning -- ask why they like a particular class, what's the most interesting part of the course,
or what is the biggest challenge from that class. Ask what class is their least favorite and why? Attend one of their classes during Family Weekend or sign up for an appointment to meet their advisor or a favorite professor.
PARTICIPATE. As a parent, you can make a statement about loyalty, just as most of our alumni do each year! Each year over 400 parents participate in the Parent Fund, with contributions ranging from $5 to $5,000. In the great Centre tradition of participation, (remember our alumni have led the nation in participation in the annual fund for over 25 years), our parents say through their gifts, large and small, that they are confident in and satisfied with their student's education. Centre is deeply grateful for this extra investment and for the level of commitment that it demonstrates. We hope you'll consider being a part of this Centre tradition.
ADMISSION -- HELP WITH RECRUITING. The admission office appreciates parents who volunteer to help with recruiting in their area. Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to let people know about Centre, and the good things you say in your community and to your friends are helpful to us. The admission office often hosts recruiting events around the country, and you may want to be involved with this, or possibly with hosting an event in your home. If you would like to know more about being involved with recruiting Centre students, please contact Ned Frazer at 1-800-423-6236.
CAREER SERVICES -- HIRE THEM!!!! You can hire our graduates. Centre prides itself on the Centre network - our alumni, parents and friends, who are critical in helping our graduates find employment and internships. You can also help our students by allowing them to shadow you as part of our "Externship" program. If your company or organization could benefit from having a bright, eager Centre student either as an intern or as an employee, or, if you would be interested in allowing a Centre student to shadow you, please contact our Career Services office at (859) 238-5283.
ATTEND CENTRE EVENTS IN YOUR AREA. The Alumni Office hosts Centre events all over the country.
If you get an invitation for one in your area, please attend - and take a prospective student and parent along.
PROMOTE CENTRE. If you have contacts with your local media, mention us to them. Tell them if your son or daughter won an award, made the Dean's List, or is in a play or some other activity here, and ask them to run the campus news release that we will probably send them. Tell your friends about us, tell prospective students and their parents about us, tell potential major donors or foundations about us. Tell the story. We know it, but not everyone does.
SUPPORT THE PARENT FUND. The Parent Fund is a special project of the Parents Association. Each year the parents select a project that they wish to support financially - most often, these are projects that have immediate benefit to the students.
Parent Fund projects include:
Supporting the Collegiate Readership Program;
Creating a student lounge in the new Campus Center.
Past projects include:
Support of the science initiative to create an endowment for science equipment needs;
Support of the library renovation through funding for a new lobby area and furnishing the central reading lounge;
Establishment of a Parents Association Scholarship;
A computer automation upgrade for the library;
Creation of a social studies lab;
Creation of the Writing Center;
Creation of an endowed book fund for the library; and
Recreation equipment for the student center.
Q. What and when is Family Weekend?
A. Family Weekend 2008 is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 19-20. It is a wonderful opportunity for you to visit your son or daughter and join in various organized campus activities. Bring the whole family - grandparents, siblings, ALL are welcome!
Hotel accommodations in Danville are not plentiful, and we encourage you to make your reservations as soon as possible. Activities include: Friday afternoon opportunities to make individual appointments with your student's faculty and to attend class; Friday evening entertainment (a nationally-touring improv group) in the Combs Center; Saturday a.m. "Academic Sampler" sessions, where you can hear presentations by our outstanding faculty; a luncheon in Chowan; several fall sports events during the day, including a football game at 1:30 p.m.; and the Family Celebration in the Combs Center (dinner and entertainment). The Norton Center also books entertainment for Saturday evening. To reserve tickets or for more information, call the Norton Center box office at (859) 236-4692.
See the Family Weekend link under "Events" on the parent home page for a schedule of this year's events or click here.
Q. If I want to do something on my child's birthday, or perhaps during finals, do you have someone who can help me?
A. Centre Survival is a service run by a former Centre parent that helps parents coordinate having homemade birthday goodies, survival kits and holiday treats delivered to their student on campus. A brochure is mailed periodically to parents. An order form is also available under the Parent Links section of the parent home page. Call former Centre parent Janet Martin at (859) 236-7848.
Q. Where can I get the Parents Association's Centre Parent/Grandparent bumper stickers?
A. The Office of Parent Programs has plenty of these available. Just call us at (859) 238-5208 or 5345, and we will be happy to send you a few.
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