Building a parent-friendly campus: practical considerations

As politician and educator Jane D. Hull justifiably said, “At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is positive involvement of their parents.” We cannot overstate the importance of parental influence on a child’s academic progression.

It is becoming increasingly important to boost parental involvement in their child’s educational experience. To do this we must create parent-friendly campuses that benefit both students and the educational community as a whole. 

Strategies we’ve used at Manipal Academy of Higher Education to meet this aim include introducing an early morning segment as part of our orientation programme. This involves the programme director accompanying parents, students and administrators on a walking tour of the campus during which parents discuss and explore the campus experience, as well as their views and ideas on their involvement in their child’s academic journey.

Here are some practical strategies aimed at creating a welcoming environment for parents. 

Open and maintain the lines of communication

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any parent-friendly campus. This involves:

Regular updates: institutes must ensure parents receive regular updates about campus events, academic calendars and important announcements. This is possible through newsletters, dedicated parent portals and social media channels.

A dedicated parent liaison: appoint a staff member or team as the single point of contact for parents. This liaison can address queries, provide information and serve as a bridge between them and the institution. 

Create a welcoming campus environment: orientation sessions should not be just for students; they are equally valuable for parents. 

Tailor them to the needs of parents: they can provide insights into the campus culture, academic expectations and available student support services, campus safety and financial aid.

Offer campus tours for parents: allow them to familiarise themselves with the facilities and environment.

Live streaming/virtual viewing: allow parents the opportunity to attend events virtually or provide recordings of the sessions afterwards. 

• Resource collection: How to factor family into higher education
• Developing an effective orientation programme for families and friends
• More needs to be done to normalise and support students with caring responsibilities in HE

Provide resources and support 

Parents like to know how their children can access help if needed. Tailored resources such as the following would address various parental concerns:

Academic support information: resources about tutoring services, academic advising and career counselling. 

Health and wellness support services: resources about health and wellness at university, including mental health support, medical facilities and fitness programmes.

Emergency protocols: resources about the campus’ safety protocols and emergency procedures and campus security and emergency services contact information.

Facilitate connections

Establishing communities that can spark connections is important. This can include:

Parent associations: setting up parent associations or committees that can participate in campus activities, provide feedback and support other parents.

Alumni parent community: identifying and involving alumni from relevant industries who are willing to give talks, run seminars or speak at webinars.

Parent advisory committees: involving parents in decision-making processes through advisory committees, if this is feasible. These committees can provide insights on policies, programmes, campus safety enhancements, mental health support and family-friendly facilities.

Academic workshops: hosting workshops that educate parents about academic programmes and expectations and how they can support their children’s learning journey.

Address financial concerns

Student parents are often proactive when it comes to fee payments and forward planning. Make their lives easier with the following: 

Transparent billing: making sure that billing processes are transparent and easy to understand and providing a detailed explanation of tuition fees, housing costs and other expenses. 

Financial aid information: offering comprehensive information about loans scholarships, grants and financial aid options. This would immensely help both the parent and the student.

Leverage feedback: ask and act on feedback from parents via surveys and feedback forms. Findings can help us make informed decisions and improvements in institutional policies and procedures. At Manipal, we usually request parent feedback during campus visits. We share responses with management and form action plans to resolve any issues. 

By implementing these strategies, institutions can create an environment where parents feel valued, informed and involved. This, in turn, contributes to students’ overall success and well-being and fosters a sense of belonging for all members of the campus community while also strengthening the institution’s reputation.

Poornima Panduranga Kundapur is the associate director of student welfare at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal. 

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