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AUGUST 2012
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I still remember the anticipation and excitement of moving away to college.
A lot of the car ride to campus was spent thinking about having a roommate.
Would we get along? Would be become great friends? To this day, I can tell
you about every college roommate I had—and stories about them. There is
nothing like living on a college campus, and nowhere is better than The
Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt.
I am sure your son or daughter has more than a few questions about
roommates. Here are some suggestions you could share with them.
Start getting to
know your roommate now. Discuss who is bringing what. Space
in rooms is valuable, so a little coordination goes a long way.
Establish some rules
to live by. They need to discuss study and sleeping habits,
visitors in the room and other topics. Good communication goes a long way
in all healthy relationships, and that certainly is true for college
roommates.
Try to work through
any tough times. The automatic answer is not moving to
another room—very few students seek roommate changes. If problems persist,
your student should talk to the RA or the area coordinator. The AC can
discuss developing a contract or direct them to other campus resources for
help. If it is clear the roommate situation is not one that will work, the
AC can help with a room change. Vacancies are few, and a new room may mean
moving to another house, which most students do not want to do. The fact is
that once students move into their room, floor and house, they really like
it and want to stay.
I suggest that parents, as much as possible, be good listeners, but let
your child resolve their roommate issues. If you need advice, you can
always call our office. The area coordinator or an associate director can
offer suggestions. I am also available to you.
The Ingram Commons is a special place. Walk the halls with your son or
daughter on Move-In Day and meet their neighbors. They may very well become
friends for the rest of their lives. Encourage your son or daughter to
participate in house activities, to seek out and get to know their faculty
head of house, and to go to a dinner at the dean's house. Meet the resident
adviser, who lives on the floor. Living and learning on campus is a key
part of the Vanderbilt experience, and we want it to be a very positive
one. We are here to assist you and your child throughout the next four
years. For more information, check out the University Resources and
Services Fair, as well as meetings with academic undergraduate deans in the
four schools, after you've moved in on Saturday, August 18. We will
see you next week!
Sincerely,
Randy Tarkington
Senior Director, Residential Education
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Residential Education
professional staff at The Ingram Commons
Associate directors and area coordinators are
residential education staff responsible for coordinating community
programming and recruiting student staff. The associate directors and area
coordinators live in residence halls on campus, are equipped with cell
phones and are on call 24/7. The area coordinators supervise the resident
advisers in each building. The three area coordinators assigned to The
Ingram Commons are available to:
- respond to emergencies
in the residence halls
- accompany
sick and injured students to the emergency room
- advise
residence hall governments
- counsel
individual students
- promote and
assist in the planning of residence hall programming
- investigate
and resolve student disciplinary matters
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Did you get a call from
us during our Phone-A-Thon?
The Parents and Family Programs
Office hosted a Phone-A-Thon on July 23–26 and July 30–Aug. 1.
We hope we were able to welcome you to Vanderbilt. If you did not receive a
call from us, we are sorry we missed you. Please feel free to contact us
via our helpline with any questions or comments. Our office is here to
serve as a resource for you as the parent of an undergraduate student.
Please take a moment to provide some feedback!
Upcoming dates and
deadlines
Aug.
15
Deadline for payment of fall tuition/fees
Aug.
18
Move-In Day! CommonVU begins. View a schedule of events here.
Aug.
18
Deadline to sign up for AlertVU
Aug. 22
First day of classes
Important links
The Road to Vanderbilt
The Ingram Commons
Class of 2016 Common Place
Parents and Family Programs
Housing
Dining
Bookstore
Commodore Card
Student Health
Student Accounts
Office of Wellness Programs and Alcohol Education
VUPoint
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A message from a parent
and advisory board member
Remember back in the old days when we were in
school? When you went away to college, you went away. The phone in the dorm
hallway would ring every so often. Whoever was walking by would answer and
holler down the hall. Maybe you'd get the call. More often, another
passerby would just hang up. And the cost of long distance calls? Crazy!
Someone up there was looking out for us, because now that we're parents,
communicating with our kids is infinitely easier. But when my husband and I
prepared to send our son—our first-born—from California to Nashville, I had
my share of trepidation.
There was no need to worry. Cell phones are wonderful gadgets. Not only can
I reach Will without dangling-phone roulette, he gets my message even if he
is in class or baseball practice. Moreover—he calls me! Will uses his
walking time across campus to keep up with me, with his father, with his
grandparents. Particularly during that first year when your child lives on
The Ingram Commons, there is plenty of walking time.
This year we invested in an iPhone 4 so we could talk to each other
face-to-face on FaceTime. At first I thought this would be a wonderful
thing, but I must admit, it's more trouble than it's worth. Skype is easier and less cumbersome.
Texting will probably become your go-to form of communication. It's easy
and it's how kids communicate. They respond to text. They initiate texts.
There's nothing better than being in the grocery store and feel the phone
buzz heralding an incoming text. At that very moment your child is thinking
of you—a test was aced, a sports road trip completed, a concert enjoyed,
money is needed, or simply you are missed. (A side benefit: Texting is a
particularly effective nagging tool.)
But don't forget that your child probably misses home just a little bit
(even if he or she won't admit it). A good old-fashioned care package still
warms the cockles of their little hearts. (Freshman year, we even sent
Will's roommate Easter eggs to hide around the room—a touch of tradition
transported to Nashville!)
And, so long as you don't overdo it, you are always a plane ride away from
surprising your child with a proper hug!
Libby Hinson
Tarzana, Calif.
Parent of Will (Class of 2014)
Parent & Family Association Advisory Board member
Liaison to The Ingram Commons
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 Family Weekend 2012 is Oct. 12–14!
Family Weekend is the perfect time for students,
parents, grandparents and siblings to reconnect. We have many fun and
exciting events planned, including an SEC football matchup between the
'Dores and the University of Florida Gators. You'll have the opportunity to
meet with various deans, administrators and faculty and also have time to
stroll across our beautiful campus and soak up the Vanderbilt atmosphere.
You can view the full schedule and register online on the Parents and Family Programs website.
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What is the Parents and
Family Association?
The Parents and Family Association serves as a
communication link between Vanderbilt and the parents of undergraduate
students. It enables parents to actively participate in the life of their
Vanderbilt student and to interact with and lend support to other parents.
Parents or guardians of undergraduate students are automatically members of
the Parents and Family Association. One of the many ways to get involved in
your student's Vanderbilt experience is through our parent volunteer
opportunities. Visit the Parents & Family Programs website to learn more and sign up.
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Have something to say
about what you read here? Send us an email.
Parents & Family Programs
PMB 401627 | 2301 Vanderbilt Place | Nashville, TN
37240-1627
Parent Helpline: (877) 887-2736
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