By Maria Probasco, president

UNM Parent Association

At the April 2008 UNM Board of Regents meeting, the board voted unanimously on a set of bylaws and memorandum of understanding making the Parent Association an official partner of the University and giving it a role in university governance.  Part of the mission and goals of the association is to keep parents connected and engaged with their students and the university to improve student success. 

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the activities and initiatives of the past few months as we work to reach our goals:

Activities and Partnerships:

• Parents staffed tables promoting the Parent Association at spring Commencement.
• Parents developed UNM’s first “official” holiday ornament — a fundraising initiative.
• Parents spoke at Parent Orientations.
• Parents staffed tables and welcomed students and parents during Move in Week. 
• Parents and students staffed parent information tables during Freshman Family Day.
• Parents spoke at UNM’s first summer Parent Experience Program for parents of high school students
• Parents developed partnerships with the UNM Alumni Association, student groups, Engaging Latino Communities for Education (ENLACE), New Mexico GEAR‐UP and others.  
• Parents participated in Summer Send‐Offs for incoming freshmen and their families and recruited “club chairs” to begin Parent Clubs in Clovis, Gallup, Santa Fe, Farmington and Colorado Springs, CO.

Upcoming Events:

• You are cordially invited to an upcoming fundraising event at University House, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is an opportunity to celebrate and support the new UNM Parent Association along with President and Mrs. David Schmidly, parents, university partners, community leaders and students. Enjoy good company and delicious food! $250 (per couple) supports the UNM Parent Fund for Excellence and is tax‐deductible to the extent allowed by law (benefit value is $25).  Please RSVP by calling Laurie Mellas at (505) 277‑5915 or email: parent@​unm.​edu.  I am looking forward to meeting you.  (more…)

Once fall semester begins, your student may begin using jargon that leaves you scratching your head. Here are some of the most commonly used UNM vocabulary and phrases:

ASUNM: Stands for the Associated Students of UNM, the undergraduate student government. Offices are located in the Student Union Building.

Bursar’s Office: The place to pay University fees and tuition, etc. Located on the first floor of the Student Services Center.

College: The University of New Mexico is divided into 12 colleges or schools, such as Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Fine Arts, Anderson Schools of Management, etc.

Computer Pods, or Pods: Various locations throughout campus where students can use computers to complete assignments, check email and pursue online research. Free printing is available at the pods.
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A Message for Parents from Clovis Acosta, UNM Parking & Transportation Services Director

Our primary concern at UNM Parking & Transportation Services is providing access to the University facilities so that students, staff, faculty and visitors may flourish in the learning community. While we offer many services to assist commuters, we also support other resources that offer cost‐effective and convenient alternatives to bringing a car to campus everyday.

From the purchase of a vehicle, to the maintenance, upkeep, fuel and insurance costs, cars cost a lot of money. 

Interested in knowing exactly how much a car costs? Check out the Commute Cost Calculator at the City of Albuquerque website.

Commuting daily is expensive. Below are a few ways students can save gas, save cash and get to and from campus without relying on a car. (more…)

International Programs and Studies recently completed a successful first semester of a new Study Abroad program in Rome, Italy. 

To raise funds for the program, the UNM Development office is currently registering a group of 18 adults to experience Italy during a 10‐day trip, Sept. 20 – 29. Costs start at $5,800 and include a $2,500 tax‐deductible charitable gift to the Rome Program.

The program signals a new direction in international education at UNM. It is designed so UNM students can fulfill some core degree requirements during a 16‐week semester. While not replacing typical foreign exchange programs or short term faculty‐led programs, the Rome program allows for experiential learning and personal growth in a setting designed for specific academic and personal needs.

Aside from a mandatory course in Italian language study, courses are in English, carry full UNM credit and are pre‐approved by UNM departments.

“It was incredible as an art major to get to see the works of art in person and to have our class lectures on site at museums and monuments,” said Noelle Richardson, a senior who graduates from UNM this summer. “Having a discussion about Caravaggio in front of one of his paintings at the Vatican is much different than seeing a slide of it in a large classroom. It was a once in a lifetime academic experience.”

Less than eight percent of UNM’s recent graduating class studied abroad, compared to the national average of 22 percent. UNM hopes to turn these figures around by the creation of the Rome program and similar programs in other regions.

For more information on the trip or supporting the Rome Program, call Mary Wolford at 277‑1088. Students interested in studying in Rome should contact Lauren Fowler Young at 277‑4032.

For incoming fall 2008 students and families, it’s time to pick an orientation session date that will work best for you.

Students are invited to participate in Lobo Orientation.

Families, including parents, guardians, grandparents and mentors, are welcomed through the Family Connection program. Visit each site for a preview of scheduled events.

Ensure the dates you select are available by having your student reserve your spaces as soon as possible. The online reservation system opened April 1.

Decide if you want to choose the Tag Team option and have your student select it when they reserve a space for your family.

Maria Probasco parent of two graduates and a sophomore will be a voice for all parents as president of the university’s first official Parent Association.

At the Board of Regents meeting held this week, President Jamie Koch signed a memorandum of understanding giving parents a role in university governance. Probasco will give a parent report at monthly regents meetings.

UNM’s new association empowers families to play a supportive role in higher education, promotes initiatives to increase student success and provides a forum for parent and student networking.

Probasco was born in Greece and raised in Sydney, Australia. English is not her first language, though she mastered it at a young age to graduate from high school and attend Business College. The mother of UNM’s most recent Rhodes Scholar, John, she is a former president of the Alamogordo School Board. Probasco joined UNM’s ad‐hoc Parent Advisory Board in 2006. She hosted meetings and recruited parents as members. With the support of President David J. and Mrs. Janet Schmidly, the board transitioned into a university‐affiliated non‐profit association.

Parent Association officers are parents of current students and hold two‐year terms. They are: Vice President Heyam Kassicieh, Treasurer Angela Koury, Treasurer‐Elect Cathy Kidder and Secretary Denise Tessier. Alexandra Roark is voting student designate.

Goals for Probasco’s term as association president include:
• Increasing association membership in partnership with organizations such as ENLACE ( ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education initiative) and GEAR‐UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)
• Advocating on issues directly affecting student success
• Assisting in realizing the university’s one‐stop‐shop concept
• Generating funds for association operations and scholarships

“My goal in the coming year is for the association to establish three Parent Clubs in New Mexico, perhaps in Farmington, Hobbs and Gallup. This will keep our parents connected and in touch with one another,” said Janet Schmidly, the president’s voting designate.
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One of the nation’s most respected college surveys issued a report this week challenging the “helicopter parent” stereotype.

In fact, students with hovering parents are not only happier, they “trumped their peers on every measure we use,” says Indiana University’s George D. Kuh, survey director.

Data from 24 colleges and universities gathered for the National Survey of Student Engagement show that students whose parents were very often in contact with them and frequently intervened on their behalf “reported higher levels of engagement and more frequent use of deep learning activities,” such as after‐class discussions with professors, intensive writing exercises and independent research, than students with less‐involved parents.

For more, see articles published in the Washington Post or InsideHigherEd.

The UNM Parent Survey was conducted in spring 2007. This survey is part of a larger benchmarking survey conducted by StudentVoice, a vendor contracted through the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. StudentVoice specializes in assessments for student and academic affairs areas at institutions of higher education.

A total of 603 parents/guardians of children enrolled in college logged in to take the survey. Questions used various measurement scales, and several asked for open‐ended responses or comments. To access the results, visit the Student Affairs Update.

UNM’s Manzanita Counseling Center provides free, confidential counseling services for families and students.

Graduate students in the Counselor Education master’s degree program counsel clients under the direct supervision of UNM licensed counseling faculty and doctoral students.

Counselors specialize in life transitions and adjustment to changes, relationship issues, stress management, family conflict, anxiety and depression, dealing with loss and anger management.

Manzanita Counseling is located in Manzanita Hall east of the Kiva Building on UNM’s main campus. Clinic hours are from 10 – 1 and 4 – 7 Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the academic school year.

The center’s mission is to provide excellent, free counseling services to the community in a relaxing environment conducive to personal growth.

While less than half (42.7 percent) of UNM undergraduates reportedly engage in “binge” drinking, those who do will incur substantially more problems than peers who abstain from alcohol or drink moderately.

At UNM, one of four students report academic problems associated with drinking – missing class, falling behind and doing poorly on an exam or paper. Alcohol is a contributing factor in the majority of sexually transmitted infections and sexual assault cases. Traffic fatalities – the leading cause of death for this age group – frequently involve alcohol.

Just as youth may think they’re immune to negative consequences, parents may believe their students will make wise choices and avoid negative consequences related to alcohol/other drug abuse. Given the potential harm even one occasion of binge drinking poses, it is valuable for every parent to understand the risks and to have a conversation with their student.

Clearly communicate your expectations, make safety the “bottom line,” and encourage using the following protective measures:

• Never drink & drive. Use a sober, designated driver or alternative transportation
• Use the buddy system: friends stay together and look out for one another
• Avoid drinking games and guzzling
• Maintain a blood alcohol concentration below .08% (Calculate Your BAC at unm.edu/~cosap)

For more information, contact the UNM Campus Office of Substance Abuse Prevention at 277‑2795 or cosap@​unm.​edu.