The faculty and staff at Missouri University of Science and Technology want to help students find success here! With that idea in mind, we have created a web of support aimed at helping students thrive, learn from mistakes, experience triumphs, and stay safe and healthy in the process. This web certainly includes you, your student’s family! There are many ways you can show your student support.

Academic Life

• Ask what new things they are learning.
• Focus more on work ethic – less on grades.
• Promote academic honesty and integrity.
• Applaud enrollment in classes that introduce completely new content and ideas.
• Tout the many academic resources available, advising, tutoring, study groups, and instructor office hours, to name a few.

Health and Wellness

• Plug the benefits of a well-rounded diet, proper sleep and consistent exercise.
• Share stress relief habits you use to stay emotionally healthy.
• Discuss the personal rewards experienced through volunteer, spiritual, recreational and outdoor activities.
• Ask how they are contributing as a member of the campus community.
• Encourage talking to a campus staff member or a member of counseling services if things start to feel overwhelming. We take emotional issues seriously and are available to help!

Personal Safety and Choices

• Be open and honest when talking about alcohol, recreational and prescription drugs, consent and sexual activity.
• Discuss the importance of being aware of their surroundings, and using the Rave Guardian app.
• Empower your student to say “no” to anything that doesn’t feel right.
• Encourage reporting any behavior of concern. We aim to foster a community of people that serve as active bystanders and will submit a UCARE report, rather than doing nothing.

Career and Vocational Support

• Understand that most college students change their major at least once.
• Encourage the exploration of new interests, passions, and career options.
• Support internship, co-op, and job shadowing opportunities.  
• Walk through their “digital profile” (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and discuss the impression it could leave on future employers.
• Promote regular visits to Career Opportunities and Employer Relations. We have valuable resources available to students at all phases of their career development.

Accessibility Support

• Extend responsibility for their own academic concerns and limitations.
• Encourage a visit to Student Accessibility and Testing, if needed, to develop a plan for managing their educational and personal life, and obtaining reasonable accommodations.
• Promote consistent communication with instructors.
• Explore living options together that will meet their unique needs.
• Boost their confidence to ask for assistance whenever needed. Our staff truly want to help students reach their fullest potential.

Residential/Off-Campus Living Support

• Relish stories shared involving late night pizza, study sessions, philosophical discussions and more.
• Avoid the urge to solve roommate problems when conflict arises.
• Respect housing policies and procedures, knowing they were developed with a diversity of needs – including safety for all – in mind.
• Promote empathy and understanding in sharing limited space with multiple people.
• Encourage involvement in hall and campus activities. Students who are involved in campus life are more likely to stay in school and do well academically!

Adult and Commuter Student Support

• Make it okay for students to spend less time at home as they balance a new schedule of classes, involvement and possibly work.
• Promote building positive campus connections through campus involvement.
• Discuss available transportation resources and expenses – car costs, parking fees, etc.
• Mutually agree upon “home roles” that promote independence. Consider negotiating things like curfew, living expenses and chores that support their new responsibilities.

FERPA Facts

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of students’ educational records. Once a student enters college or turns 18 years old, parental rights under FERPA transfer to the student. Information from student records is typically not shared unless that student is a dependent, gives written permission, or there’s a health or safety emergency. For more information about FERPA please visit https://registrar.mst.edu/ferpa/.

Article adapted from https://www.paper-clip.com/.  Please Note: Missouri S&T does not endorse or have a relationship with SOURCE and articles are provided for information purposes only.  Missouri S&T and SOURCE do not assume responsibility for error or omission in materials.  

Parent & Family Relations

Norwood 107• 320 W. 12 Street / parents@mst.edu

Phone: 573-341-4209 • Website: http://parents.mst.edu/

Facebook: Parent & Family Relations at Missouri S&T