I would like to extend to all parents a hearty Hawkeye welcome from the Parents Association. There could be no better time to be a Hawkeye parent and to take pride in the institution that is educating our children. The successes of the University abound, from nationally recognized athletics to cutting-edge research to world-class scholarship. The University of Iowa is a leader among educational institutions in the world. Few of us have the time or resources to know even a small portion of the accomplishments that are achieved in Iowa City almost on a weekly basis. One excellent source is @Iowa, a monthly e-mail newsletter. By subscribing to this free news service, you’ll receive stories about the University people and events that are reported on in national media. To subscribe, complete the online form. The University web site, www.uiowa.edu, and Spectator, an alumni publication mailed to all parents, also are excellent sources of information about University programs and services.

The beginning of a new calendar year presents great opportunity for organizations to reflect on past efforts and to commit to new endeavors, always with an eye toward improvement. The Parents Association is no exception. Much has been accomplished in recent years. Through private gifts from parents to the Parent Fund for Student Support at the University of Iowa Foundation, the Parents Association has recommended allocations to support a number of campus programs and projects. Among those receiving funding are the placement of additional emer-gency phones throughout campus, successful Family Weekend picnics, Welcome Week activities, nonalcoholic social events, and student orientation.

Most notable among the recent accomplishments is the gifting of $100,000 over a five-year period for the construction of a reception area in the Pomerantz Center. This state-of-the-art facility, which opened in November 2005, serves as the academic, career, and recruiting venue for prospective and current students and alumni. No better use of Parents Association resources exists than helping our children make the difficult leap from student to successful employee or entrepreneur.

In terms of future endeavors, the Parents Association is looking forward to creating opportunities to be a more representative, responsive, and viable organization in the University community. Not only does the Parents Association want to better serve the needs of parents whose children are currently enrolled at the University, it also wants to make each parent’s bond with the University one that continues long past the date of his or her child’s graduation.

The Parents Association exists to serve the needs of parents of University of Iowa students. We hope that you look upon the Parents Association as a means of support and a source of assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact any of the members of the Parents Association Board of Directors, or to contact the on-campus liaison, Belinda Marner, at parents-association@uiowa.edu or 319-335-3557. Visit the Parents Association online at www.uiowa.edu/~parent.

Best regards to each of you.

back to top