UAlbany Launches Course for Student Families to Help Demystify College Experience

By Bethany Bump

ALBANY, N.Y. (Aug. 20, 2024) — The University at Albany has launched a semester-long course for family members of new students who want to better understand the college experience and how best to support their loved ones through the process.

The free online course, called Great Danes 101, launched earlier this month and is open to any parent, guardian or support person to a student who is new to UAlbany. Over the course of the semester, families learn about the basics of college and life at UAlbany, the academic calendar and support services available to students, as well as how to support their Great Dane through common stressors such as homesickness, academic struggles and more.

“Universities are large organizations with some ancient traditions and can be confusing institutions to understand,” said Linda Krzykowski, executive director of the First-Year Experience at UAlbany. “One of our goals was to demystify the college experience so that parents understand who we are, what we are doing, and ways we are encouraging students to get involved.”

Colleges and universities have observed a growing desire over the years among both students and families for more family education about the college experience, said Krzykowski. While there are limits to what higher education institutions can share with non-students under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, there is plenty of basic information about college, campus life and support services that schools can provide families, she said.

Some of this information is currently shared during a family and supporter orientation program when new students first arrive to campus. The addition of a semester-long course featuring weekly pre-recorded classes provides families with another avenue to receive information at their own pace, said Krzykowski, who designed and teaches the course.

"We want families to be that encouraging coach in the background,” she said. "If families see they have a positive, beneficial role to play on behalf of their student, we hope that helps students succeed. That's our goal — we want our students to thrive in college, to do well and ultimately to graduate.”

While the course is self-paced, families are encouraged to navigate the classes on a weekly basis as they are sequenced to coincide with events happening on campus such as Family Weekend, midterms and finals.

The course opens with a pre-class designed to set expectations on the differences between high school and college, student autonomy and choice, and practical details about ordering course materials, meal plans, textbooks and more. Other classes offer tips for navigating the emotional and social transition of a student’s first year at college, balancing support with independence, strategies for supporting students who may be struggling with homesickness, and resources for tutoring, support services, academic planning, experiential learning and career services.

“The University at Albany is committed to providing our students with all the tools they need to succeed in higher education,” said UAlbany President Havidán Rodríguez. “A key element of that is helping our students’ support systems — their parents and family members — understand what they are experiencing in college. The new Great Danes 101 course demystifies higher education and provides families with practical advice about how they can support their student. When students have more support, we know that they are more likely to succeed in higher education. I am so proud that UAlbany has launched this transformative course for families.”

“More than 30 percent of our students are first generation, so establishing this course for family members and guardians, who may be unfamiliar with the culture and structure of university life, was important to us,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol Kim. “We know that family and guardians are one of the strongest sources of support our students have. Familiarizing them with important dates on the academic calendar, like add/drop deadlines, midterms and finals, helps them support their student. Great Danes 101 is offered in English and Spanish, and we are very proud of how engaging and comprehensive the course is.”

Great Danes 101 is one of many pioneering new initiatives introduced by UAlbany's Office of Academic Innovation and Student Success. Together, these initiatives form a larger, overarching network that helps drive undergraduate success.

“The UAlbany Student Success Model is designed to support our students holistically and is most effective when we partner with existing support networks, including a student’s family,” said JoAnne Malatesta, vice provost for Academic Innovation and Student Success. “We are committed to ensuring that all members of the University at Albany community have the information that they need, when they need it, and providing families and care givers with this interactive course is critical to establishing an environment that is accessible and collaboratively focused on student success.”

Family members of new students can enroll in the course at any point during the fall semester. Sign-up is available at www.parentlingo.com/albany.

Weekly office hours will be held via Zoom every Wednesday from 4-5 p.m., as well as in person during Family Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-noon in the Campus Center. Questions? Contact [email protected].