Parents & Families

The residence halls provide daily opportunities for students to explore differences and witness diversity of thought, perspective, and experience in action.  For many, it may be the first time they have had to share a space with others.  This sharing requires students to learn how to live cooperatively with others, effectively articulate their viewpoints and needs, and manage conflict through the interactions they have with other residents in their halls.

As your student adjusts to life on campus and living in the residence halls, there can be social adjustments and concerns about roommates and living situations. It often happens that you may hear of a roommate conflict before we do.  This can be distressing, and you may be tempted to take care of the situation yourself.  The best approach is to listen and support your student and let them address the issue(s). This often leads to a successful solution. Trained staff members are available to offer assistance and to mediate conflicts, if necessary, but only after all perspectives are heard.  Do not assume the Office of Residence Life knows about the situation if your student has not spoken to their RA about it. Communication is a key factor in avoiding and resolving roommate conflicts.  Here are some tips to guide your student in the right direction towards roommate conflict resolution:

• If potential for a conflict arises, encourage your student to talk about the issue immediately with the roommate rather than let things go until it leads to resentment.
• Let your student lead the conversation, listen to what they have to say, and avoid being judgmental.
• Find out if all of the roommates have a signed roommate agreement and ask if they have reviewed it together recently.
• Ask if the roommates have sat down together and communicated their feelings freely with one another.
• If your student has tried the above strategies with their roommate(s), ask if they have discussed the situation with their RA.  If not, encourage them to do so.  Residence Life cannot assist with a conflict if they do not know about it.

The transition from high school to college can be difficult for all students: students with disabilities are no exception.  Perhaps the most important difference to understand about the transition for students with disabilities between secondary (high school) and post-secondary (college) education is that at the college level, education is no longer a right or an entitlement, but rather a matter of eligibility.

Parents of students with disabilities often have difficulty with the transition from being an active part of the educational planning process for their child at the secondary level to the new role of on-lookers. They now have to acknowledge their son or daughter is a legal adult and, as such, is responsible for his/her educational planning.  In fact, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) no person from the college can discuss confidential information, which includes anything related to grades or disabilities, with parents, without signed permission from the student.