Welcome from President Frank

Welcome to the start of the 2009-10 year at Colorado State University! 

All of us on campus head into this time of year with a fresh sense of purpose and anticipation--much like the feelings you and your student are probably experiencing. We look forward to welcoming back our returning students and to meeting a whole new class who are for the first time joining our campus community.

This sense of nerve-wracking excitement can be particularly acute for parents of first-year students who are making their first transition to college life. As a father, I?ve been through this transition myself in recent years, and I was admittedly surprised, particularly being a long-time academic, at what an emotional rollercoaster it can be. All the years of planning still can?t quite prepare you for the moment when all the boxes and duffle bags are unloaded and you drive away from the residence hall with an empty car.

At Colorado State, our Ram Welcome program (August 20-23) has become an important part of this transition for our students and their families ? one that has helped them feel more connected to our academic community and more confident that they made the right choice in selecting CSU. It is a chance for our entire campus to let families know that their students are in good hands, that we care about their success and well-being, and that the values we espouse as an institution are modeled first and foremost in the commitment we have to our students.

This is the spirit and message we as a campus community strive to convey throughout the year, whether assisting families on Move-In Day or encouraging your participation in Homecoming & Family Weekend and the RAMFAM Association. We value your involvement and partnership in celebrating the potential for transformation that higher education offers. And we?re proud to engage you as members of the Colorado State community.

Let?s have a great year!

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 Dear Parents and Families:

Wow, the summer months go by so quickly! We?ve had quite a summer at CSU, with construction beginning on a new parking garage and academic classroom building on the south side of campus, construction on the Student Recreation Center and intramural fields in the middle of campus, multiple conferences keeping the campus lively, and many students enrolling in summer courses. We hope new parents and families have had the opportunity to attend a Preview or Next Step orientation session and have connected with the University. This transition can be exciting and scary at the same time, and we want to be sure to keep you ?in the loop? with upcoming events. With that in mind, we?ve stuffed this newsletter with things for parents and families of all CSU students to be aware of in the coming weeks.

Please watch for future emails regarding new and exciting developments with the RAMFAM Association and the Parents Fund.   Feel free to contact us through email or phone if you have any questions or concerns. We may not know the answer immediately, but we will do our best to connect you with the great resources here on campus and in the community. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please follow the instructions below to unsubscribe. If you would like to receive this newsletter at a different email address, please email Kacee (kacee.collard@colostate.edu) directly with your new address.

Best wishes to you and your family as summer comes to an end, and as always, thanks so much for partnering with us to support student success!

Sincerely,

Jody & Kacee

Jody Donovan, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Students/
Executive Director of Parent and Family Programs
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
Colorado State University
201 Administration Building
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-5312
jody.donovan@colostate.edu

Kacee Collard Jarnot 
Assistant Director of Parent and Family Programs
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
Colorado State University
201 Administration Building
Fort Collins, CO 80523
(970) 491-5312
kacee.collard@colostate.edu

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Ram Welcome

Ram Welcome begins on Thursday, August 20, 2009! The residence halls on campus open at 8:00 am and CSU staff and students will be around all day to help with the move-in process. While there are a number of specialized programs that allow students to move into the residence halls early (band, football, Key communities, fall Preview, etc.), please know move-in day is hectic and the more time you can allow yourself to move in, the better it will be. There are opportunities to learn more about the campus that day and to begin CSU traditions with a picture with our mascot, CAM the Ram. The most important thing to remember is your student must attend their Residence Hall Floor Meeting or Commuter Student Meeting at 5:00 pm on Thursday, August 20, so please plan to be moved in by that time. First-year students are expected to attend all Ram Welcome events to help them connect and experience CSU before the first day of classes. Specifically, the Friday ?College Day? events teach students more about academic expectations at CSU, including meeting faculty members and touring academic facilities. During this time they will also receive their Class of 2013 ForEverGreen T-shirt and traditions book. This year, we have multiple schedules tailored to meet the needs of our diverse population. See the schedules below:

• Full Schedule
• Transfer Student Schedule
• Parent and Family Schedule
• Second Year Student Schedule also known as Ram Welcome Back!
• Adult Student Schedule

We?d love to see all parents and families at the Parent and Family Reception at 5:00 pm on Thursday, August 20 on the north side of Moby Arena. You?ll have a chance to relax with food and drinks after moving your student?s belongings to their residence hall, meet some of CSU?s administrators and have prime seating for the Official Welcome given by President Tony Frank. Join your students for the CSU Carnival after the welcome. We offer sessions for parents and families on Friday morning related to academic year transitions and safety and security on campus, but, after the Street Fair on Friday afternoon, parents and families are encouraged to say their goodbyes and head home. This will allow your student to fully engage in the Ram Welcome activities and build friendships and connections on campus.

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Carrying on RamFamily Tradition

By Tanida Ruampant
Director of Alumni & Student Programs and E-Communications

Milestones and traditions hold a valuable place in most families. The CSU Ram family is no exception. For generations, Colorado State University students and their families have experienced CSU milestones and such as orientation, Ram Welcome, Homecoming and Family Weekend and Commencement. Following in the footsteps of alumni, students carry-on traditions such as painting the A, singing the Fight Song and participating in the Homecoming parade. 

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RAMFAM Association

Interested in participating in your student?s journey without having to bug them about what?s happening on campus? Join the RAMFAM Association! Comprised of volunteer parents and family members, the RAMFAM Association meets monthly to discuss student issues, development and fundraising, programs and services for parents and families, and recruitment and retention of new students and new RAMFAM members. We?ve met with multiple leaders on campus, including past ASCSU Student Government Vice-President Quinn Girrens and the current CSU President Tony Frank and continue to grow in size and ideas! 

Our first meeting of the semester will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2009 on campus. If you are out-of-state, we will have live web-streaming capabilities and a chat line set up so you can participate. We?ll send a reminder to those on the listserv as it gets closer.

Click here (and scroll down) to sign up for the RAMFAM Association.

Click here to see RAMFAM Association meeting dates/times/locations.

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2009-2010 Calendars Available!

The 2009-2010 Supporting Transitions: A Guide for Parents and Families calendar is now available! If you would like a hard copy of this year?s calendar, please email Kacee Collard Jarnot with your name and address and we?ll send you a copy. Packed with important dates and deadlines, this calendar will help you navigate CSU?s academic year timeline, as well as developmental issues your student may be facing.  

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Upcoming Events

Homecoming & Family Weekend will be held on October 9-11, 2009, with informative tours and sessions, the Homecoming Parade, Festival, Pep Rally, Bonfire, Fireworks and Lighting of the ?A? on Friday afternoon/evening, so plan your travel arrangements accordingly. Click here for a Family Weekend schedule and check back for updates!! 

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 Keeping the Conversation Going

By Carrie Visintainer
TEAM Fort Collins
Source: Century Council

Conversations are a powerful tool for supporting your student through the transition from high school to college. Before your student leaves home, take time to sit down and share anticipated joys and concerns about the coming year. Be clear about your expectations regarding attending class, balancing study vs. social time and managing finances. It is also important to discuss family values regarding underage drinking and partying. If you have a hard time knowing how to start, try these talking points:

•  How will you decide whether or not to drink at college?
• What will you do if you find yourself at a party with only alcohol to drink?

• What will you do if your roommate only wants to drink and party?

Ultimately, tell your student that you respect her/his judgment, and that you will always be available for guidance and support. And then follow through. Especially in the first weeks of school, call or e-mail a few times. Better yet, learn how to send text messages. Most students are adept at texting, and it?s a quick and easy way to ?check in,? and keep the lines of communication open. Plus, you?ll get extra points for using the technology that is the framework of their world.

The transition from high school to college is a significant time of growth and change for students, parents, and family members. Most students will be living independently for the first time in their lives, and this means a big jump in responsibility in everything from managing money, to doing laundry, to setting a daily schedule.

As parents and family members consider the potential challenges that their first year student will face, they often express concerns about campus partying and underage drinking. At CSU, campus officials work diligently to reduce the availability of alcohol to students under 21, while promoting a culture that values healthy choices. Recent CSU survey results show the following:

• Just over 25% of students do not drink alcoholic beverages at all. Among first year students, about 40% do not drink alcohol.  (This percentage has steadily increased at CSU since 2005, due to increased outreach and prevention programming.)
• Of students who consume alcohol, 75% reported doing so at an off-campus residence in the past year.
• Less than 10% of freshmen report consuming alcohol at local bars, restaurants, or in Greek houses.

This data suggests that many students choose to abstain from drinking alcohol, and that off-campus parties are the primary venue for underage drinking. Although city and campus police consistently work to address this issue, the reality is that parties do exist.

It is important that parents and families take the opportunity to educate their student about the risks of underage drinking, and to keep the conversation going once they leave home. Most students report that their parents have the greatest influence on their decisions and behavior. 

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