Welcome Parents!

Whether this is your first experience with higher education or another step in a long family tradition, you know that this is a critical passage for your son or daughter. As they take on new challenges, they prepare for full-fledged adulthood. It is our privilege to participate in that process.

The Office of Residence Services actively pursues to enhance the quality of life on campus, to support the academic needs of resident students and to compliment the academic goals of Wright State University. Your student will be invited to become a full partner in this endeavor. National research and our experience show that students who live on campus perform better academically and graduate earlier than their off-campus counterparts. I ask that you encourage your student to take full advantage of this marvelous opportunity.

Dan Bertsos
Director, Office of Residence Services

What To Expect

The first year of college can be a very exciting, yet challenging, experience. Students may be leaving home for the first time and may be feeling a great deal of anxiety about the exploration, affirmation, and independence that lies ahead. The parent's role during this time is an integral part of the experience. How you respond to your student's concerns can have a great impact on his or her adjustment and success.

Being a parent of a first-year college student can be difficult at times. You may have feelings of frustration and helplessness. Parents must be prepared to listen and answer such concerns as "I don't like my roommate" or "this professor doesn't like me," or even "I want to come home." These are common first-year students' statements and can play an important part of the valuable process your students will undertake while establishing independence.

Parents should challenge themselves to be supportive while still allowing their student to take the proper steps towards adulthood. A common term used at colleges and universities is "empowerment," which, in this context, means to provide students with the skills and resources needed to make responsible decisions. Even while at home, parents play an important role in the process.

Common Concerns Of First Year Students

• Homesickness
  Most students at one time or another experience homesickness. It is common for first-year students to feel it, especially during the first six weeks on campus. Parents can help by listening to their student and validating his or her feelings, offering to come and visit their son or daughter instead of having him or her come home, and/or encouraging their student to speak to a residence hall staff member or the counseling center.

• "There is nothing to do here"
  First-year college students may have difficult time getting involved at first. Although students do have to take some initiative, opportunities to get involved are available at virtually every corner- intramural activities, student leadership organizations, athletic teams and events, and social functions. If your student complains that he or she has nothing to do, please refer him or her to the Student Organization Complex located in the Student Union Atrium; here your student can find the offices of the major six campus organizations and find out about going to events or getting involved. Also, residence hall staffs regularly offer social and educational programs right in the building, giving students an opportunity to interact with their neighbors and learn skills that can help in class performance.

• Academic Anxiety
  Academic anxiety is a problem for many first-year students. College coursework is very different then curriculum in most high schools. Common anxieties among college students include time and priority management, scholarships pressures, and the structural differences between a typical college and high school day.
  
  If you sense that your student is experiencing anxiety related to his or her classes and/orcourse work, a number of resources are available on campus to help: class instructors, Community Directors, Resident Assistants, and the Office of Councelling and Wellness Services.

• Roommate Conflicts
  When two people live in closet quarters, conflict is bound to arise. Quite often conflicts arise because roommates fail to communicate their expectations. If your student has a problem with a roommate, encourage him or her to sit down and calmly discuss the situation with his or her roommate. If you feel the individuals involved need assistance resolving their conflict, refer them to the Resident Assistant or Community Director. Staff will attempt to first resolve any conflicts with a roommate agreement. Most students find it extremely beneficial to complete a Roommate Contract at the beginning of the school year. The Roommate Contract is a tool in which all roommates sit down together and discuss rules for the room. Establishing parameters at the beginning of the year helps set tone for the remainder of the year. If necessary, an RA or the Community Director may participate as mediator if necessary. The Roommate Contract becomes extension to the Student Code of Conduct should problems arise.

Director's Welcome

Lottery Letter (pdf)

Terms & Conditions

Sourcebook

Safety & Security

Worried About My Child!

Meal Plans/Dining Services

Parental Contracts

Under 18 Application Addendum (pdf)

University & Housing Policies

Floor Standards

Apartment Unit Standards

Emergency Procedures

Weapons Policy

Visitation & Overnight Guest Policy

Maintenance Billing & Appeal of Damage Charges

WSUPD Silent Witness Program