Building Institutional Systems of Support for the Parents and Families of College Students

Casandra E. Harper is an Associate Professor of Higher Education in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Department at the University of Missouri. Her research is focused on the diversity of the individual student experience, which has included attention to race, ethnicity, gender, ability, and class across the following key experiences and outcomes: multiracial identity development, racial identification, openness to diversity, the influence of student-faculty and student-parent interactions, perceptions of campus climate, and financial aid as it relates to college access and academic success. Casandra received her BS in Psychology and her MA in Higher Education from the University of Arizona and her MA and PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA.Judy Marquez Kiyama is a Professor in the Center for the Study of Higher Education, Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice, at the University of Arizona. Dr. Kiyama is a community-engaged scholar with nearly 25 years of experience in research, practice, and administration. She works to interrogate systems of power that perpetuate inequities for minoritized communities and is committed to understanding the cultural and collective resources drawn upon to confront and (re)shape such systems. Working alongside Latinx/o/a families and communities is at the core of Dr. Kiyama’s research efforts. As a first-generation Mexican American college student, she draws on her own experiences with her family to connect with the sources of support that first-generation families of color offer their students in the transition to college. Her numerous publications focus on inclusion efforts to better support first-generation, low-income, and families of color within postsecondary settings.

"As I read each page, it felt as if it were torn out of my day-to-day work as a dean of students. I’m so grateful for the insights offered on the important role of families in our students’ success. The guidance and examples within the text arm practitioners with the tools needed to bring families in on the work and care needed to create the belonging students are seeking."Chrissy Lieberman, Dean of Students, University of Arizona"Harper and Marquez Kiyama bring together powerful insights from practitioners to challenge and inspire us to reimagine how colleges and universities can truly serve today’s students and their families. They remind us of the deeply complex, nuanced, and culturally rich ways that first-generation, low-income, and BIPOC students and their families engage with higher education, challenging misconceptions of family involvement and moving us to asset-based, inclusive practices. This book is a must-read for practitioners, administrators, and scholars committed to building equity-driven, student-centered institutions that honor the full breadth of the student experience."Heather J. Shotton, President, Fort Lewis College"This book is an excellent resource, offering a comprehensive exploration of the diverse needs of today’s parents and families across a wide range of institutional contexts - including community colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Minority-Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Designed for both emerging and experienced practitioners, it provides actionable strategies for those developing parent and family programs, it illustrates new and innovative practices for enhancing established programs and is grounded in the philosophy of partnering with families as key contributors to student success."Kathy Adams Riester, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Dean of Students, Indiana University

• 1. Bridging Research and Practice: Connecting Research Findings to What Practitioners Are Doing in the Field Section I. Establishing New Parent and Family Engagement Programs 2. Moving from Parent to Partner to Coach: Developing a Parent and Family Engagement Strategy 3. Spanish-Language Programming as Essential for Serving Parents and Families at a Hispanic-Serving Institution 4. The Evolution of a New Initiative: Parent Ambassador Program 5. Parent and Family Engagement: The Community College Edition 6. How Institutional Communications Can Influence Parent and Family Behavior 7. Navigating New: Understanding the Transitions of First-Year Families Section I. Points to Consider: Staff Resources: Building Capacity Among Your Parent and Family Engagement Team Section II. Taking Parent and Family Programs to the Next Level 8. Powerful Partnerships that Bridge Student Well-being and Student Success 9. Parent Engagement in Career Education 10. Including Families in a Campus Crisis 11. In Their Own Words: Students’ Perceptions of Parental Support on Retention at HBCUs 12. Engaging Families to Promote First-Generation Student Success: Guidance for Higher Education Leadership and Family Program Practitioners 13. Flooded in Expectations: Institutional Response to Student Needs through the Development of a Robust, Data-Driven Parent and Family Program 14. Keeping Them Safe: Campus Collaborations to Raise Awareness of Campus Safety Section II. Points to Consider: Staff Resources: Building Capacity Among Your Parent and Family Engagement Team 15. An Emerging Agenda for Engaging Parents and Families in Higher Education: Considerations in Praxis