Parents club to reconnect students with family

The Mountaineer Parents Club is asking parents and family members of West Virginia University students to walk a day in their shoes.

The annual Fall Family Weekend begins Friday and will offer a variety of events for students and their families to enjoy together.

"WVU families are part of our University community. We want parents to have a sense of connection and pride in the University. It's important for families to be comfortable here," said Sabrina Cave, executive director of the Mountaineer Parents Club. "Students are anxious for their families to walk their walk at their new home."

Activities for the weekend range from the Mountaineer Idol competition, WVUp All Night, a 5K Heart Walk, a day at the WVU Farm and a downtown Arts Walk.

Families will also have the opportunity to attend classes with their son or daughter and visit open house receptions at various departments.

"Parents and family members of today's students have been encouraged to be actively involved in their lives, and that involvement doesn't end in college," Cave said. "The Parents Club allows families to be involved, while also giving students room to grow. It's important for students to be responsible for their actions, but also important to us to share the tools and resources with parents so that they can help their students take the lead in their decisions."

The Mountaineer Parents Club is an organization dedicated to preserving the relationship of students and their families after they've left for college, Cave said.

"The Parents Club is an organization designed to foster success by connecting

parents and family members to the WVU student experience," she said. "Our primary goal is to provide family members with information about the University and the student experience so that they are able to support their students."

For more information about Fall Family Weekend, including a schedule of events, visit http://familyweekend.wvu.edu/.

"We want to maintain a relationship with our students' families. We want to help them, help their students succeed, Cave said. "We want parents to learn all that WVU has to offer students and to feel comfortable on our campus, and Fall Family Weekend accomplishes that."