DU Parents Blog

Question: What should parents and families expect during Discoveries Orientation Week?

The Discoveries Orientation team is anxiously awaiting your family’s arrival to the University of Denver campus!  Our goal is to welcome you to our community and make your student’s transition to college as smooth as possible. We realize that, while this is a time of excitement and anticipation for families, it can also create some challenges and anxiety.

Whether you are a parent/guardian of a first-year or transfer student, the Parent and Family Orientation is designed to help you become familiar with DU, answer your questions about University resources and opportunities, and find out what to expect the first year.

Orientation includes various information sessions, a resource fair, and time to ask DU administrators any questions you may have. Some sessions occurring during Parent and Family Orientation include:

Student Billing and Financial Aid

Campus Safety

Academic Requirements

Student Life

Study Abroad

Health and Counseling

Campus Tours

Following Residence Hall Move-in on Sunday, September 4^th, we invite all parents and guardians of incoming students to stay for Parent and Family Orientation, occurring Monday, September 5^th -Tuesday, September 6th. The cost is $25 per person, which helps offset costs of meals and materials (children under 10 do not have to register). Parent and Family Orientation is optional and is not a requirement, but is a wonderful way to learn more about the DU experience.

To REGISTER and for a more detailed schedule of Parent and Family Orientation, please visit http://www.du.edu/studentlife/discoveries/parentsandfamilies.html.  Online registration closes August 31^st.

We look forward to seeing you on campus soon!

I'm Glad I Joined

The last four years flew by unbelievably fast - and now my daughter Caitlin is a graduate of the University of Denver.  But I'm not ready to go yet; I'm still a proud member of the DU Parents Association and the Parents Council.

I hope you have already joined the Parents Association.  If you haven't,  let me encourage you to sign up.  Membership is a great way to be more closely involved with the University.  Some terrific benefits of membership include the chance to win a $250 gift certificate at the bookstore, a 10% discount on gifts and apparel at the DU Bookstore, and a copy of the DU calendar every year for four-year members.  Also, you probably got a phone call the summer before freshman year from a Parents Association member who volunteered to answer questions new DU families might have (like, are the dorms air conditioned? no!).  As far as I'm concerned, the best benefit is that members can register before everyone else for the fabulous activities at Moms and Dads Weekends.  My personal favorites are Tea at the Brown Palace and the olive oil tasting (these two always sell out fast).

If you're like me and want to have a deeper level of involvement, think about joining the Parents Council.  In case you haven't heard about the Parents Council, it is an advisory board made up of DU Parents Association members who meet with administrators and the Chancellor twice a year to learn about all the latest developments at the University.  You'll see Parents Council members assisting at move-in day, helping out with Summer Send-Offs, greeting parents during Orientation, and facilitating at Parent and Family Weekend and Moms and Grandmoms/Dads and Granddads Weekends.  But for me, the real value of the Parents Council has been the friendships I've made working closely with parents from all over the U.S. and the incredible DU staff.

So, please join me as a member of the DU Parents Association.  You can sign up on the DU website.  If you need more information, contact Laura Stevens, Director of Parent Relations, at 303-871-2744, or laura.stevens@du.edu.  I'll see you at move-in and Orientation.

Judy Maillis, mother of Caitlin Holleron, Class of 2011