Newswise — With another school year under way, it's natural for parents to worry: Will my son or daughter fit in? Will they make friends quickly? Will they study? Will I be welcome on campus?
West Virginia University has a unique opportunity for parents " and families " to share the college experience with their son or daughter. The Mountaineers Parents Club (MPC) is headed by Susan Hardesty, the wife of WVU President David Hardesty. MPC is free, and open to parents and family members of current, former and future WVU students.
For WVU's first lady, it's a full-time job. In 1995, the Hardestys formed the Mountaineer Parents Club as one of President Hardesty's five student life initiatives. President Hardesty said recently: "Nine years ago, Susan and I " who met at WVU as students some 40 years ago " came back to our alma mater to make a difference. We had two teenage children at the time " both soon to enter college " so we were aware of the qualities we, as parents, wanted for our children in a college or university. Our hopes and dreams did not seem much different from our friends who also had college-age children: To have them study with other students from all over the world; to develop as a person; to have a wide choice of academic majors, student organizations, and arts and entertainment; to have excellent teachers that were not only scholarly, but who would serve as mentors and friends; to have excellent learning and recreational facilities; and to seek involvement of families in their students' experiences."
Nearly nine years later, the network has grown into a coast-to-coast organization with more than 11,500 members in 61 locations. Thirty-eight clubs are in West Virginia and others are located in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington/Oregon and Wisconsin.
MPC keeps busy throughout the year. Over the summer, local chapters organized more than 50 "get-acquainted" summer send-offs for freshmen and parents. During the school year, WVU's parent advocate operates a toll-free helpline (1-800-WVU-0096), which provides peace of mind for parents who have questions or concerns. In addition, the Parents Club organizes activities held during Fall Family Weekend each year that attract thousands of families to campus. The Parents Club also publishes a newsletter three times a year. Mountaineer Parents and Parent Electronic News keep families informed about new and upcoming events on campus. MPC officials aren't sure if there are any parents clubs like it in the nation. They get numerous calls each month from college officials across the country asking how to get one started. The Club recently drew national attention on National Public Radio's Morning Edition.
For more information, visit the Mountaineer Parents Club online: http://www.wvu.edu/~parents/
WVU News on the web " http://www.nis.wvu.edu/newsroom/
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