October signals the halfway point of the semester. For your student, this could mean the onset of anxiety regarding midterm tests and papers, excitement for fall break, and any combination of emotions surrounding the posting of midterm grades. As your student’s support system, you may feel powerless to help, but the core of the college experience is teaching young adults how to manage the sea of struggles and obstacles they’ll face with resiliency, with integrity, and in collaboration with others, and this IS something you can help your student with!

We also want to recognize that this semester has changed what once was considered “normal.” Many students are living at home while attending online classes, so perhaps you’re in touch more than ever before, and perhaps their excitement and anxieties look completely different. Please take some time to consider in what ways this semester has been different and how your student’s need for support may be different, while still acknowledging their emerging growth and independence.

Start a conversation!

As a parent, checking in and asking appropriate, reflective questions may help give your student perspective while they navigate their academics. One issue that may arise is a feeling of inadequacy and inferiority due to the discrepancy between high school grades and initial college performance. Remind students that college is not high school, and they may need to learn different styles or methods of studying! Questions about study habits may inspire students to look at these habits differently or to try out a new form of study. Finding the study habits that fit the student’s most effective learning style may assist in their work. A lot of information on different learning styles is available online, such as this article.

Additional questions you can ask your student include:

• Has your student talked to their professor for that course? Their course syllabus also includes office hours, phone number, and email address.
• Has your student explored what the Learning Commons offers? Services include peer tutoring in Writing, Math, Languages, Sciences, Business, Economics, Nursing, Presentations, and Group Processes.
• Has your student met with their academic advisor? Students who don’t know who their advisor is can contact the Shepard Academic Resource Center (SARC) or their Dean’s office and ask. 
• If the student says their professor and advisor are never available, ask if they left a voice message or sent an email. 
• Has your student participated in any of the Learning Assistance Workshops? Have they set up an appointment for one-on-one assistance with the Learning Assistance Counselor in the SARC?
• Is your student attending their first-year workshop?
• Have they contacted the Shepard Academic Resource Center for assistance?

Another way to look at an effective conversation with your student is to “test the waters” by asking questions that help give you a sense of where their stress and anxiety levels are pertaining to upcoming tests. This can be followed by recommending resources to “lower the temperature.” You can provide encouragement and specific resources (see below) that will help students practice resilience and seek the support they need.

As you navigate conversations with your student, we encourage you to foster a space where they can be honest. If your student doesn’t feel like they can be honest with you, you may not be able to get through to them and help them as much as you’d like. Something that may foster honesty is sharing your own struggles in navigating school or work. Your expression of vulnerability may inspire them to open up about their own struggles and needs.

As always, a simple show of support from you as a parent is always effective. If your student is living at home, maybe that means stocking up on their favorite study snack or caffeinated beverage. If your student is living away from you, maybe a quick $5 Venmo for coffee could brighten their day.

How UP can help

The University of Portland offers a wide array of assistance for students. Your student might just need a little nudge towards getting help.

The Learning Commons invites students to connect with their trained writing assistants and peer tutors as an effective learning strategy for greater success in their college courses. Working with these assistants and tutors also makes the online learning experience at UP more socially connected. The Learning Commons collaborates with a plethora of campus partners to support multiple realms of study including:

• Writing Center
• Math Resource Center
• The Language Studio
• Natural Sciences Tutoring
• Speech & Presentation Lab
• Nursing Tutoring
• Economics and Business
• Group Work Lab

Learning Assistance Counseling teaches students learning strategies and skills (like those in their Academic Toolkit), enabling them to become successful students and future professionals. Many students find the demands of college level academic work to be greater than anticipated, so it’s important for students to find help in adjusting to this new work-load. Students can work with the Learning Assistance Counselor, Brother Tom Giumenta, to develop and refine the skills and tools necessary to best meet the student’s needs.

The Shepard Academic Resource Center offers a number of resources to students, including a “Your First Year in College” page where students can find advising and various relevant articles amongst other things to support this step of the journey.

As a University, we are not able to reach out and provide specific updates regarding your student and their grades, but we always welcome your outreach. At the end of the day, you know your student best and may notice changes in their behaviors or emotions before anyone else. If you notice your student’s grades are dropping significantly or that the stress of study is becoming overwhelming (and you’re concerned about their physical, emotional, academic or personal health) we encourage you to submit a Care Team Referral. The Care Team Program can assess the situation, offer support, and provide referrals to the breadth of resources available through UP.

Midterm Grades

Midterm grades are given for all 100 and 200 level classes. Your student should receive feedback in these classes by mid-to-late October. One important point to keep in mind is that “midterm” can be a misnomer. Although we are nearing the midpoint of the term, the midterm grade may reflect only one test, small quiz, or paper. In that case, most of the points available to be earned in the class are still up for grabs, so students have a good opportunity to raise their grades. If students receive midterm grades they are concerned with, direct them to their syllabus to see how many points are left in the semester. If they have only completed one midterm test or paper, chances are they have at least one more large-scale project, plus the final exam, which can impact their performance. If your student has concerns, encourage them to speak with their professor or reach out to the Shepard Academic Resource Center. All first-year students will be contacted by the Shepard Academic Resource Center and invited for an appointment.

If this is your student’s first year in college, remember that they had four years to study as a high school student. However, they have had only a few weeks to figure out how to study as a college student, so midterm grades may bring some surprises. The key is for students to be aware of their current grades and of the many resources that are available on campus to assist them in having a successful first semester, including the wealth of support and services offered through the Shepard Academic Resource Center.

Parent Proxy

You may be wondering how YOU can see your student’s grades since UP won’t be sending them home like your student’s high school may have. The first and best way is to simply ask your student and then follow up with intentional questions. Questions could include:

• Have you checked your midterm grades in Self-Serve?
• What grades are posted?
• Have you sought out resources through the Shepard Academic Resource Center?

In addition to having a conversation with your student, Parent Proxy is also available as a tool. “Parent Proxy” provides an opportunity for University of Portland students to grant access to family members or other designated individuals to view certain student information online or to speak with specific departments regarding the student. The most common scenario for granting Proxy access is so that a family member can view a student’s grades or tuition invoices via the UP Self Serve portal. The person being granted access to the student’s information is referred to as the “proxy.” If your student has added you as a Proxy through Self-Serve for the student information view, you have permission to view their grades. You can access grades online via the Banner Self Serve Proxy system.