July 2009

Dear Parents,

This website was created for you. We recognize parents as partners in their sons' and daughters' education. While your student is with us, we know that they will stay in close contact with you. We also know that students view parents as important resources in their decision making.

Our goal with this website is to put you on the same page, literally, with your student and us so that together we can facilitate the kind of education your son or daughter is pursing here at K.

This page contains information for you about campus resources, offices and programs, academic and campus life, and the academic calendar. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with this site, and to use it as you talk with your son or daughter.

Kalamazoo College is a challenging environment that also provides high levels of personal support to students. We treat our students as adults who are fully capable of navigating their lives here (as generations of students before them have done), and we have multiple resources to help them do it effectively. In addition to developing intellectual and academic competence, Kalamazoo College helps students become comfortable in managing their personal affairs - finding information, using resources, seeking help when needed, making decisions, and solving problems. We invite your help and support in enabling students to develop these essential "life skills."

We encourage you to call us whenever you have questions. In most cases, the appropriate first call for information should come from your son or daughter directly, especially for routine matters. We strongly encourage you to contact us if any of the following occurs:

" You are concerned about your son or daughter's health or well-being
" You cannot locate your son or daughter after a reasonable amount of time (remember, college students sometimes have unorthodox schedules!)

Please spend a few minutes wandering through the information and resources we have provided in these pages. I invite you to contact my office at any time with questions - 269.337.7209.

Sincerely,

Sarah B. Westfall, Ph.D
Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students