Dear Parents,

This website was created for you. We recognize parents as partners in their student's education. Though your student will soon be — or already is — with us, we know that he or she will stay in touch with you via cell phone and email. Research indicates students stay connected with parents, and view parents as important resources in their decision-making. Our goal with this website is to put you on the same page, literally, with your student and us so that together we can facilitate the kind of education we all hope he or she will have.

William Willamon from Duke University refers to students as "apprentice adults." That is an apt description, and helps us frame our interactions with them. Students are not suddenly fully adult at 18. They become adults, and the process of becoming an adult began before they arrived here, and will continue after their graduation. Our goal is to position your student to make a good adjustment to the challenges of college life and to take advantage of as many of the opportunities we have to offer as he or she can. The decisions that must be made and the paths that must be chosen and walked (or run!) are your student's. Our role, and yours, too, is as a guide.

We will encourage them to think carefully when making mature, informed choices, and we will extend helpful resources. We will encourage them to take risks, try new experiences and courses, and we will make suggestions. We will encourage them to face adversity with courage and to resolve conflicts responsibly, and we will be here to listen and give counsel. Join us, for the role of a guide is not to take the journey for another, but to prompt, to point direction, to ease burdens with encouragement, and to celebrate discovery.

Nevitt Sanford coined the phrase "challenge and support" to describe an education that was relational, and to make the point that students grow best when they are nudged out of their comfort zones while being supported in that exploration by care and the provision of resources. We know that one of the supportive relationships your student will have in the challenge of his or her education is with you. We hope this website is a resource for you as you join us as a caring partner-guide in your student's journey.

We will continue to update information on this site, add links to helpful resources, and construct new pages, so come back and visit us again. Please feel free to drop us a line, for we are eager to hear your feedback and suggestions.

Zaide Pixley
pixley@kzoo.edu
269-337-5755