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For Parents/Guardians
Welcome parents/guardians! You play a crucial role in the success of your
student, and we hope that you find this website to be helpful as you navigate
the ins and outs of being the parent/guardian of an underage college student. Here, you will find information about
Columbus State Community College and ideas for
healthy ways to support your student. You will also find a link to the "Student
Handbook," a publication that will address many of your questions.
COLUMBUS STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S PRIVACY POLICIES
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get a copy of my student's grades?
The quickest, easiest way for parents to receive information about their
child's grades, financial statement, or other student information is for the
student to provide it. Students can look up information online, print it off,
and give or e-mail a copy to their parents. Student records are available for
students at CougarWeb for Students.
Can I have access to my student's grades if he/she is still a minor?
According to FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as
the Buckley Amendment), college students, regardless of age, are considered
responsible adults and are allowed to determine who will receive information
about them. Under this law, parents who want to receive a copy of their
student's academic or financial records can do so if their student signs a
release form. No CSCC office will share private student data, including grades,
with any third party except the high school (e.g., parents, friends, etc.)
without the student's written consent.
Please be aware that neither our office nor the Records and Registration
Office will release grades to friends, parents, or other relatives unless they
are the student's designated legal agent. Grades cannot be released to anyone
but the student, a designated legal agent, and the high school guidance
counselor or other school official. Also, we cannot release grades to anyone
over the phone.
For more information go to Columbus State's
Institutional
Disclosure.
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CAMPUS SAFETY
For information about campus safety and how to stay healthy, go to the
Public Safety
web site.
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HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS
As parents/guardians you play an especially important and
challenging role. We have compiled a list of suggestions, taken from various
"experts" in student development and advising, that may help you to navigate
your role.
- Help your student understand that coming to this college is a major
transition, and parts of it will be easy and parts of it will be difficult.
This is normal - everyone experiences some challenges with transitions.
Helpful Links:
Advising & Counseling Services
- Be prepared to be a sounding board for your student. Often when s/he wants
to discuss an issue with you, s/he is just looking for support and
encouragement. Help him/her find the resources that he needs to solve the
problem on his/her own. Accepting the outcomes of one's decision, whether good
or bad, can be an empowering experience.
- Encourage him/her to ask for help. Learning is a cooperative effort, and
asking for help is a vital part of the effort. Professors, instructors, academic advisers, counselors, and college staff will all be able
to point your student in the right direction. Students are not expected to
find all of the answers for themselves!
- Help him/her stay on track for the college's application process. Encourage
him/her to manage his time so that s/he does not miss important deadlines, but
be careful not to write his/her applications and essays for him/her!
Admissions committees often see thousands of applications, and it becomes easy
to spot an essay written by Mom and Dad!
Helpful Links:
Ohio College Access Portal
- Your student may want to explore several major or career options. Be
supportive by encouraging him/her to visit with professors, other students,
and advisers on campus and to ask for names of alumni working in the field.
Students have full access to the career services on campus. It is never
too early to start thinking about careers!
Helpful Links:
CSCC Career
Services
- Resist the temptation to steer your student toward a major simply because
it fits your interests. Students are more likely to be successful in school
and their careers if they are doing what they enjoy.
- Encourage your student to use the advising services at CSCC. Advisers are
happy to meet with students to discuss their plans at any time throughout the
quarter, although your student may find easier access to the advising staff
during non-registration periods. Your student can call 614-287-2668 to
schedule an appointment to meet with an adviser.
Encourage him/her to seek a healthy, balanced lifestyle. S/he should continue
to make time for friends and family, physical activity, hobbies, and other
activities that are not academic in nature. Suggest finding a
student
organization or a
place to
exercise.
- Parents must insist on open communication with the child since FERPA will
not allow us to give much to parents. Talk to your child about money, grades,
studies, work/study, dating/relationships in conjunction with school,
organizational skills, calendar skills/time management.
- Ask him/her what you can do to help.
- Tell him/her that you are proud of him/her!
Suggested books which may be helpful for parents of college
students:
- "You're on Your Own (But I'm Here If You Need Me): Mentoring
Your Child During the College Years" by Marjorie Savage
- "The Parent's Crash Course in Career Planning" by Marcia
Harris and Sharon Jones
- "Letting Go: A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College
Years" Fourth Edition by Karen Levin Coburn, Madge Lawrence Treeger
- "Almost Grown: Launching Your Child from High School to
College" by Patricia Pasick
Suggestions were borrowed from the
National Academic Advising
Association and the University of Minnesota's Advanced High School Student
Services (AHS3).
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CONVERSATION STARTERS
The following questions were provided by Jerry O'Connor, of New Mexico State
University, in an attempt to help parents of first-generation college students
connect with their students. We believe they can be helpful to parents of all
college students. By keeping an environment open to dialogue, you will better
connect with your student, and you will show your support for him or her; you
will also better understand your student's new life at the college. Although
we do not guarantee that you will always receive the answers that you want, we
hope that your student's answers will begin new conversations.
- Do you know the names of all of your professors? What do you know about
your professors? Their background, educational training or interests?
- Can you figure out or understand the objectives of each of your classes?
- Has any faculty member given you encouragement? Have you visited any
professors during their office hours?
- Academically, what has been the most interesting class or lecture?
- Anything about the campus surprise you?
- Have you been able to maintain a balanced life with this workload?
- Any ideas about your future academic focus?
- Do you ever get discouraged? What about? Care to talk about it?
- Are there any groups or organizations you are thinking of joining? If you
did, would such a group take a lot of your time?
- What advice would you give your younger brother, sister, or high school
friend about what to do in preparation for college?
- Can you spot those who you know will succeed academically from those who
are going to have difficulty? How can you tell?
- How does studying in college differ from studying in high school?
- How does socializing in college differ from socializing in high school?
- What do you like about college life and what discourages you?
- Have you found a way to feel like a member of the CSCC community?
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