First ever Parent’s Day slated for Nov. 8

Georgia College & State University students will have a chance to show their parents just what they’ve been doing at college when GC&SU hosts its first annual Parents’ Day Saturday, Nov. 8.
Vice President for Student Affairs Bruce Harshbarger said the campus hosted a similar event in the mid-90s when there was a great number of students living within a 50 mile radius of the university.
“We decided we’d wait and try it again when more of our students were coming from farther places,” he said.
The Parents’ Day planning committee consists of several members of the GC&SU faculty and staff, as well as two students.
Coordinator of Orientation and New Student Programs Kathy Edmonson said the event was first introduced by Interim President David Brown.
“He felt it was time that we established a Parents’ Council,” she said.
Such a council would give parents the opportunity to bond with each other and help out with recruitment, scholarships and fund-raising efforts.
Director of University Relations Mitch Clarke said it is often a new experience for parents when they have a child leaving home for the first time.
“This is an opportunity for them to come to campus and spend time with their students,” he said.
He said this experience will hopefully drive the parents to play an active part in campus recruitment.
The event will begin at 11 a.m. with check-in at the front campus tent. From there, groups will get to know each other with “get-acquainted exercises.” There will also be an orientation at Russell Auditorium, which will include a performance by the Jazz Combo. Parents will be able get an update on campus construction followed by an optional walk downtown and a visit to the Bobcat Marketplace.
Parents will also be able to attend a luncheon with an address by the president, followed with parent conversations and a variety of other activities.
Several open houses will also be going on during the day. Parents and students will have the chance to tour the Depot, Bobcat Village Apartments, the Old Governor’s Mansion and an art exhibit at Blackbridge Hall.
Harshbarger said a nice idea would also be for a group of parents and students to dine together at a restaurant downtown.
The event is open to all parents, but Harshbarger said it is specifically targeted towards the parents of first-year students. He said it is an opportunity for the parents to visit their children, as well as a chance to see the campus and find out what might be new here at GC&SU.
Sixty people have already registered for the event and Harshbarger said he hopes to see more parents sign up for the weekend, which is the same day as Fall Fest.
The last day for registration is Oct. 27. There is a $10 registration fee. For more information, contact the Division for Student Affairs in 214 Lanier Hall at (478) 445-5169 or email bruce.harshbarger@gcsu.edu, or visit the Parents’ day website at www.gcsu.edu/parentsday. “We want to establish a network of parents who feel a connection to [GC&SU], just like the students do,” Edmonson said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 24 2003. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry