University Launches Parent Communication Program
03/01/2024
by Buffy Lockette
Jax State has launched a new program aimed at giving parents, spouses and other members of a student's support network the ability to better assist them on their college journey. Partnering with CampusESP, the university has rolled out a new family communication program to keep families informed of campus deadlines, processes and other important information.
In December, the university began distributing an e-newsletter, "Gamecock Parent & Family Connection,” to students’ families. It contains major campus news and highlights – pulling in top headlines from the university's internal "Red & White" newsletter, as well as deadlines from the academic calendar. It also includes content produced by CampusESP centered on how parents/families can better understand and support their student, such as a recent article titled "A Family's Guide to Young Adult Identity Development."
“Our goal is to create an integrated experience for families and supporters to follow along with their student’s college journey,” said Jessica Wiggins, associate vice president for enrollment management. “They may customize their level of involvement, selecting the content they are interested in seeing from the university.”
Parents are automatically added to the distribution list for the newsletter and other university communications if their student provided their contact information during the admissions process. Those not already receiving these emails may sign up online by creating an account in the Gamecock Parent & Family Connection portal.
CampusESP is also streamlining the process through which students provide parents and family access to their federally protected account information. Parents and family members can now request access to their student’s information by completing a FERPA waiver through the Gamecock Parent & Family Connection portal. Please view the instructional video for help.
Students select who can view specific areas of their student account – such as their account balance and bill payment, financial aid, grades, student records, etc. – and provide access to specific information to select audiences. For example, they may wish for a parent, spouse or benefactor to be able to view their account balance, but not their grades and registration information.
Until now, students have granted access to their account information in MyJaxState through the “JSU Student Proxy.” With the new user-friendly FERPA Waiver process in place, the university will completely transition to the FERPA Waiver on June 1.
"The power remains in the student's hands," said JSU Registrar Emily White. "Every student has different needs. Some may want a parent or other trusted adult to help them with paperwork, others will want to continue to keep that information private. No matter a student's situation, we want them to have the tools they need to handle the business side of being a college student, so they can concentrate on learning."
For more information, visit the new Parents and Family website.