Commuter Student Services
Parent & Family Member Information
Dear Parents, Family Members, and Friends: Welcome to the University
of Southern Maine! You are an important part of your student's
success here at U.S.M. We invite you to become an active participant
with the University, particularly the Commuter Student Services
Office (207) 780-4090, in this exciting transitional time
for your student.
Commuter students (those who live off-campus) are very important
to us. They make up approximately 88% of the U.S.M. student
population, so your commuter student is not alone! Some of
their common concerns include:
- Transportation and parking issues
- Managing multiple life roles often as a parent, student,
and/or full time employee
- Difficulty in developing connections with the university
and other students because they have little free time to
spend on campus, and
- How to integrate and involve support networks who are
generally off campus
Our charge is to provide services and programs to help commuter
students with these issues. We encourage student participation
and involvement in the University because we believe that what
one learns outside the classroom is as important as what is
learned in the classroom, and ideally the two sets of experiences
will compliment each other. As a support network, you can be
a key factor in your student's success at the University of
Southern Maine. I encourage you to talk with your student about
the above issues.
We have asked commuter students what might be helpful to
them as they transition into college and they expressed the
following 10 tips for supporting your commuter:
- Cooperate in providing quiet study time for your student.
- Expect your family schedule to change and understand
that your student may need some flexibility in the routine
- Devise a plan to share household and childcare duties
- Attend U.S.M. events or programs with your student geared
toward families
- Tour the U.S.M. campus with your student - schedule a
time with the Office
of Admission
- Your student will be spending plenty of time at U.S.M.
- become familiar with courses, services and programs with
which your student is involved
- Attempt to integrate into your students new social life
and interests if applicable. Do not make your student feel
guilty about their time demands
- Support your student in inviting study groups to your
home
- Be interested in what your student is studying and give
them support if they receive a poor grade
- Encourage your student to "get involved" out of the classroom
because it will help them feel more satisfied and be more
successful.
The Family Members' Orientation during the summer will provide
you with an overview of the support services available to U.S.M.
students and help to prepare you for the exciting changes about
to happen in your student's life. If you have a question or
concern that is not addressed through these sessions or just
wish to talk to a staff member at any time throughout the year,
please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at (207) 780-4090
or by e-mail at austin@usm.maine.edu.
|
