Whether a student lives in the residence halls or continues to live at home, going to college can be difficult for families as well.

Upon the request of many parents of previous first-year students, the "Parents as Partners: Together in Transition" presentation by Gloria Melton and Michelle Nightingale has been made available online.

Visit the Michigan Tech Parents and Family site for quick facts about Michigan Tech, information on ParentNET, a listserv just for Michigan Tech parents, and much more.

For more information on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) at Michigan Tech, check out this page.

The Office of Student Records and Registration offers information on Banweb Guest Access, a system in place that allows your student to grant parents or family members access to view their grades, financial aid information, and pay their bill online. For more information about Guests Access, please visit http://www.admin.mtu.edu/em/students/guest.php.

COMPASS offers academic outreach and support continuously throughout the semester. Our office also coordinates mid-term grade outreach, first-year academic advising meetings, and academic probation outreach. COMPASS also administers the Tech Parents Annual Fund.

If you have any questions about Parent Orientation or other Parent and Family services, feel free to email Michelle Nighingale, Assistant Director of COMPASS, Orientation at orientation@mtu.edu.

OTL April Rhoden dining with a family at the 2007 Family Picnic

While parents are at the Parent Orientation meetings, siblings can have their own fun and exciting Orientation experience! K-12 Outreach sponsor a “Sibling Summer Youth Sessions: College Exploration for Siblings.” These sessions will take place on Sunday, August 24. The younger siblings of Michigan Tech’s first-year students will be placed in one of four groups: Lower Elementary (grades K-2), Upper Elementary (grades 3-5), Middle School (grades 6-8), or High School (grades 9-12). Staff and current Michigan Tech students will guide participants through teambuilding, engaging hands-on projects, and creative explorations. The cost for the program includes participation in group projects, all supplies, and lunch and snacks. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, and walk-in registration will be limited by the space available. Check back soon for more details and for information on how to register!

There will be a Family Picnic on Sunday, August 24 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. First-Year students and children 5 and under will eat for free, so tickets only need to be purchased for family members and guests who would like to attend the picnic. Tickets will be on sale online. Your tickets can then be picked up at New Student Check-in on Saturday, August 23 or Sunday, August 25. For your convenience, and to avoid long lines, we are offering four serving times at 4:00, 4:30, 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. Please purchase your ticket for the time you would like to eat and please arrive at that time. Please note: your tickets cannot be mailed to your home address, they must be picked up on campus at check-in.

Check back later to purchase tickets for the Family Picnic!

-Young kids chalking the sidewalk with OTL Derek Dykens-

Borden, Marian Edelman, Burlinson, Mary Anne, & Kearns, Elsie R. (1995).
In addition to tuition: The parent's survival guide to freshman year of college.
New York: Facts On File, Inc.

Coburn, Karen Levin, & Treeger, Madge Lawrence. (2003).
Letting go - A parent's guide to understanding the college years (4th ed.).
New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Harris, Marcia B., & Jones, Sharon L. (2007).
Helping Your College Student Succeed: The Parent's Crash Course in Career Planning.
Lincolnwood, Il.: VGM Career Horizons.

Johnson, Helen E., & Schelhas-Miller, Christine. (2000).
Don't tell me what to do, just send money: The essential parenting guide to the college years.
New York: St. Martin's Griffin.

Newman, Barbara M., & Newman, Philip R. (1992).
When kids go to college: A parent's guide to changing relationships.
Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press.

Savage, Marjorie. (2003).
You’re on your own (But I’m here if you need me): Mentoring your child during the college years).
New York: Fireside Press.

College Survival Guides. (2004).
Smart-Start- A survival guide for first year college students (And their parents too).
Nashville, TN: National Tape & Disc Corporation.

There are numerous resources available online. Listed below are just a few that might help you and your student prepare for the Michigan Tech experience.

The US Department of Education's site (www.ed.gov) provides a variety of information on education including information on financial aid and career planning.

Michigan Tech has partnered with Student Health 101 to give parents and family members up to date information on many common college health issues. Because we know Michigan Tech parents and family members are an essential support for our students, we hope that you are having conversations with your son or daughter about their health and wellness related decision-making. By accessing the parent edition of Student Health 101, called the Parent Perspective, this resource can help you become an informed partner who can share essential information with your student.