Though Lauralynn Stephen is not an Ohio University student, she is enrolled in a class with the university this semester.
She is a one of about 15 parents taking a new online class for parents of first-year students from Assistant Dean of Students Jamie Patton.
“I was excited to experience a little of what she was going to be dealing with and looking forward to offering her assistance and/or commiseration,” Stephen said in an email.
She signed up for the free class because she was hoping it would provide insight into the college life her daughter Devon was about to start.
“I’ve learned that most freshman parents are wading through a myriad of emotions that they are trying to conceal from their new freshman,” Stephen said in an email. “We love our children endlessly and learning to navigate our newly evolved relationship with them, as well as an emptier house, can be difficult.”
Patton said he got the idea for the six-week class after attending the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators conference where he saw the book The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only.
“When I saw that I was like ‘oh, a class. I have a textbook for a class how cute,’ ” Patton said.
When he got back from the conference, he talked to his graduate assistant, and they decided to give the class a try.
The Division of Student Affairs sent out emails in August to parent of families of first-year students in which they advertised the class, and a select number of parents showed interest in the class, Patton said. Originally, 75 parents said they were interested, but 35 people actually signed up for the class.
The class runs through Course Sites, a website similar to Blackboard, and parents only have to pay to buy the book to take the course.
“We give them reading each week and we have one to two discussion items per week and then we have a midterm and a final paper,” Patton said. “Essentially we provided them with a syllabus that talked about what it meant to be a student, the requirements, the text — just like a regular student.”
Through the class, Amy Stratton, whose daughter Alexis is a freshman, said she has learned how other parents are supporting their students.
“I wanted to be able to better understand and have informed conversations with her about her every day college life, especially regarding her academic experience,” Stratton said in an email.
Not everyone who signed up stayed in the class.
“Some parents said ‘wow this is really stressful, with my job I can’t keep up with the pace of the class,’ ” Patton said.
Anywhere between 15 to 20 people participate each week, Patton said. The class started during week 2 and will end Oct. 15.
“It seems that freshman go through a series of similar experiences their first semester, and this class offers great understanding of this concept so parents don't feel alone or isolated,” Stratton said in an email.
One of Stephen’s favorite part of the class is the opportunity to share stories and experiences with others.
“I think my favorite moment was reaching out to another mom whom I could tell was struggling with the transition,” Stephen said in an email.
