The scripts are available for printing and for sound bite identification.

Go to http://www.wichita.edu/newsline to get the current Wichita State University Newsline. If you cannot access the Newsline at the Web address above, contact Joe Kleinsasser at (316) 978-3013 or cell (316) 204-8266 or joe.kleinsasser@wichita.edu. Newsline cuts may be edited to suit your needs.

If you have additional questions for Kim Sandlin after listening to the WSU Newsline, please call her at (316) 978-5427 or kim.sandlin@wichita.edu. 

Background:

The involvement of parents in their children’s lives used to lessen as their children went off to college. Not so, anymore. In fact, parents today are so involved that colleges and universities are tailoring orientation programs to include more information for them as well. Kim Sandlin, assistant director of admissions and orientation coordinator at Wichita State University, offers some helpful tips for parents with college-bound children.

Voice wrap:

Announcer: The transition from high school to college isn’t just an adjustment for students; it’s an adjustment for parents, too. According to Kim Sandlin, orientation coordinator at Wichita State University, today’s universities are facing parents who are much more involved in their children’s lives than in previous generations.

Sandlin: "We’re really seeing an increase in the number of parents coming to programs such as orientation. Lots of colleges and universities have developed programs specifically to serve the needs of parents with full-time staff, programs throughout the entire year, and many services or resources that parents can get on the Web or call up to receive.”

Announcer: Sandlin says parents need to make sure that their student attends class, because it’s the No. 1 predictor of academic success on a college campus. She also encourages parents to keep the lines of communication open with their college student. This is Joe Kleinsasser at Wichita State University. 

Sound bite #1

Sandlin says parents are looking for different information now than in the past. The sound bite is 19 seconds and the outcue is “and such.”

Sandlin: "The change that we have seen over the years with parents, specifically at orientation programs, is the type of information they’re looking for, not necessarily the number or the involvement there, but the kinds of questions through the day-to-day activities of their student, such as checking e-mail, making payments on accounts and such.”

Sound bite #2

Sandlin says parents need to make sure their student attends class. The sound bite is 18 seconds and the outcue is “and the parent.”

Sandlin: "The things that we tell parents, No. 1 is really to make sure that their student is attending class, as it’s the No. 1 predictor of academic success on a college campus, so first they need to be going to class. And then second, we really encourage them to keep communication open between the student and the parent.”

Sound bite #3

Sandlin offers some additional tips for parents. The sound bite is 20 seconds and the outcue is “getting their work done.”

Sandlin: "Another thing for parents to make sure their students are doing is allowing the appropriate time outside of class to prepare for class. Attending college is really a full-time job. You spend hours in class, but then two hours outside of class for every hour in class is, you know, what students should really be planning for as far as academic success and getting their work done.”

Sound bite #4

Sandlin says students who go to college for the first time have to learn personal responsibility very quickly. The sound bite is 26 seconds and the outcue is “or do poorly academically.”

Sandlin: "We talk to parents and students a lot about there’s no magic switch that happens between, you know, high school and college. So, all of a sudden they have all of this new freedom and they have to learn personal responsibility very quickly. One of our professors indicates that if a student misses a class in the first four weeks of when classes begin, then that student is much more likely to flunk the course or do poorly academically.”

Sound bite #5

Sandlin says the process of getting information surprises some parents. FERPA stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The sound bite is 27 seconds and the outcue is “to go through that process.”

Sandlin: "One of the things parents ask about is how to access students’ information. And once a student enrolls in college they are protected under FERPA, so it’s not a surprise that they have to make an inquiry to get the information. It’s the process through which they have to go to get the information. And that can differ from department to department, from campus to campus. So it’s very, sometimes frustrating for the parent to go through that process.”