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Parents Council a great tool to help parents make the tough college transition

By William and Annd Buck, Parents Council Chairs

The Buck family: Bill, Andrew '01, Abby '03, Anne, and David

In the fall, many parents across the country drop their chil-dren off at PLU, as a new chapter of life begins. The PLU environment makes letting go a little easier (although we doubt this is ever easy) through a caring, collaborative community of faculty, staff and administration. One of the most effective organizations in this transition is Parents Council.

For those not familiar with Parents Council, here is a brief summary: Sponsored by the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations, they are a group of volunteer parents and families of PLU students. Parents Council members help the university inform other parents about all aspects of the university, strive to promote the welfare and advancement of the university and encourage members to participate in Council projects.

Some of the activities include serving as hosts in residence halls, sponsoring question-and-answer sessions for parents during new student orientations, phoning new parents in the parent-to-parent calling program and serving as local resources in their communities.

Volunteering for PLU has given Parents the opportunity to stay in touch with their children by giving them first-hand knowledge of campus happenings. It’s a great way to be active participants in the community where children are becoming productive adults—but without intruding on their individual growth.