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Hello–I’m the incoming president of the Parents Association,
and this is the 10th consecutive year that my wife, Susan, and I have
been Iowa parents. Our children, Rich (’99), Geoff (’02),
and now, Pat (’06) have taught us repeatedly that truly it is great
to be the parents of a young Hawkeye.
I hope you enjoy reading Parent Times. Its intent is to provide you with interesting and helpful news. Let us know what you enjoy reading and what other types of information you would like to see.
Thanks to my involvement with the Parents Association, I have directly witnessed the caring attitude that parents and students receive from the Office of Student Services. Their office staff (who can be reached at 319-335-3557), along with all University of Iowa faculty and staff members, provide access to opportunities for our students. If your student needs help, encourage them to ask. You might start with the web site www.uiowa.edu/~parent for names and numbers of contact people and available departments and services.
I also want to express my thanks to the hundreds of parents who find a way to send that extra money to support worthy projects through the Parents Fund for Student Support at the University of Iowa Foundation. These projects include walk-up e-mail express stations in the Iowa Memorial Union, emergency phones and added security lighting throughout campus, Orientation materials, and Family Weekend activities, to name just a few. In the future, when you receive that annual student phone call to contribute to the Parents Fund, please respond in whatever financial way you can. The Parents Association is acting on your behalf, and I assure you that your dollars will be spent wisely.
Finally, a word from an experienced parent of college students–please take that extra vacation day or weekend time to visit your student. One of the questions we always ask our sons when we visit is “Do you want to run to the grocery store?” and whether they’re living in the dorm or in an apartment, they always say yes. It’s proven to be a great opportunity to interact with our sons, to talk about the importance of healthy eating, and provide a little parental input. There’s something about the environment that’s easygoing and it seems to be a good setting for communication–by the time you reach Aisle 3 you might ask how their grades are, and by Aisle 6 you can talk about their boyfriend or girlfriend. We live three hours from campus and understand that you have to make time on your calendar for visits, but students really like to see their parents and get a good meal too. And don’t forget to make those early hotel reservations for the Family Weekend of Nov. 5-7, 2004.
Our entire board looks forward to serving you in the upcoming year.
Jim Fruin, President
University of Iowa Parents Association
