Manchester Magazine Fall 2015 | Page 29

W ith two students at Manchester, parent Tina Ray says she could lead the admissions tours herself now. But it wasn’t that way when her son, Jacob ’16, was eyeing Manchester four years ago. “I had tons of questions, even some that seem a little silly now,” recalls Tina. That’s why Tina signed up for Manchester’s new online parent community and why she’s hoping that other parents will too. The mom from Claypool, Ind., who also sent her daughter Delaney ’19 to Manchester this fall, now has more answers than questions for other parents. But regardless of their MU experience level, she says, “it’s good for parents to know other parents.” Manchester last spring launched the social network site, which has grown to more than 250 members. The home page includes MU’s latest Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter feeds, as well as a link to Family Connections, Manchester’s digital newsletter geared toward parents. There are also clear instructions about how to join the network. “The online community is a great opportunity for parents to make the most of their MU years,” says site coordinator Jacob Huffman ’06, assistant director for admissions. “Meaningful parent involvement helps encourage student success and development,” he added. “Our private social network enables families to connect with each other and foster a sense of community. And it not only links parents to each other, it links parents to the University.” When parents have questions, they can post them and receive responses from other parents. They can start discussions, form groups based on common interests, see The Ray family of Claypool, Ind., (from left) Mick, Jacob, Delaney and Tina, take a break from moving Delaney into Garver Hall on Move-In Day in late August. Jacob is a senior at MU this year, Delaney is a first-year student. Photo by Michele Marie Photography MU| F e a t u r e s Manchester photos and videos, get the latest campus news, and monitor the University calendar for important deadlines or events they might want to attend. Sometimes, parents of first-year students meet at summer orientation events and can continue their friendships as part of the larger online group. “They can share questions and suggestions among parents regarding all aspects of student life,” says Huffman. No question is too big or too small. A parent may want to know about the furniture in residence hall rooms, how much spending money their student will need, or what MU undergrads typically do on a Saturday night. The network is also a great tool for finding other MU families who live nearby and want to share trips to and from campus. Tina Ray didn’t go to college so she didn’t have that foundational experience to help her prepare Jacob and Delaney. Without the network four years ago, she says, she spent hours online searching for answers to some of her questions. And even parents who did go to college acknowledge that a lot of things are different. Matt and Mary Rueff of Indianapolis are college graduates, but Mary says that technology has changed dramatically the way students navigate their way into college. Had the parent network existed four years ago, it might have helped Mary help her son, Michael ’16. If nothing else, the parent network “is a great way to stay connected to the life of your son or daughter,” says Huffman. Tina Ray agrees. She chuckles at the term “helicopter parents,” but she understands the emotion. “It is hard to let go.” Jacob and Delaney couldn’t be happier with their choice to attend Manchester and that makes Tina happy, too. Now that she’s a pro, does she have advice for other parents? “Relax,” she tells them. “It’s going to be fine.” How to sign up www.manchesterparents.ning.com Access code: MUparent How each page works: • • • • • • • • Home: The splash screen provides basic and recent activity across the site, including feeds from MU’s Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest accounts. Discussion: This forum allows all members to post topics and interact with any post. MU is a community— share your insights, experiences and questions. News and calendar: This is the goto place where MU staff will share information and helpful updates about what is happening on campus. Groups: Any member can create a group based on common interests and invite others to join. Groups can include alumni parents, current student parents, prospective student parents and much more. Photos: Open to all members, the gallery is visible from your profile page and across the site. Videos: You can watch but not post. This feed updated regularly from YouTube displays the newest MU videos. Members: A searchable member directory also includes MU staff members (they have special badges on their profile photos). My Page: The link to your profile includes a comment wall for public conversation and a messaging feature for private conversation. By Melinda Lantz ’81 Manchester | 29