Parents And Lambuth Team Up
Newly Formed Parents' Council Involves Parents Throughout Child’s College Years

It's the age-old question that college-bound high school graduates have to answer: Where do I want to spend my college career?

Over the years, parents have become increasingly involved in their child’s college selection and elimination process. Universities and colleges, taking notice of this trend, now make every effort to “get the parents in the midst of things, literally.”

Recognizing this change early on in his career, one of the first things Lambuth's President, Dr. R. Fred Zuker, wanted to accomplish at Lambuth was to established a Lambuth Parent Council. Dr. Zuker has worked with Parent Councils at other universities and has witnessed the results of their involvement. “Parents provide important feedback to the University of how it can be more responsive, more effective, and better serve the needs of its students,” said Dr. Zuker. “Their participation is a key element to the University because it helps to generate an overall interest in its function and allows a view from the parents perspective which the students may not have thought about ... from what type of health services are available to the security staff on campus.” Additionally, parents can continue to be engaged with their student as he or she progresses through his or her college career.

 “We have always been involved with our children in every aspect of their lives,” says chairpersons of the Parent Council Warren and Debbie Young. “Both our son and daughter are a part of the Lambuth community and we felt compelled to serve the University. Having two students attend Lambuth University, we have found the staff always helpful and willing to 'go the extra mile' to ensure our children’s college careers are successful. Now, we want to encourage other parents to take a good look at what Lambuth has to offer.”

Opportunity to serve as a member is by invitation. Members make a Leadership gift to the University for the Parent Gift Campaign and aid the University with recruitment of other parents. Additionally, they participate in specific events, such as Summer Send-Off and SOAR (Summer Orientation, Advising and Registration). These programs, developed to help incoming students adapt to their new environment, make the transition from home to college life easier. The Parent Council also aids the Admission Office through referrals of qualified students. Most importantly, representatives of the parent community provide feedback to the University’s administration to help resolve any issues of concern. The council is comprised of couples willing to participate for a minimum of one year or longer and includes parents from freshmen to seniors.