Academics 101
Welcome to the Gonzaga family!
Well, your student is here (check), all of their belongings have been unpacked (check), and they now have their first couple weeks of collegiate academic work behind them (check plus). More than likely you’re still involved with your son or daughter, some of you perhaps more than others, during this time of transition. College can be a harrowing experience, yet rewarding and transformational as well. As you prepare to kick your feet up or begin plans for remodeling your new spare room, please note we are here to assist your student in their academic journey.
How can you support this journey? It would be of great assistance to us and to your student if you would continue to provide the structural stability your student still needs, reaffirm their decisions and encourage them to explore decision-making on their own. Through this approach, your student will continuously develop their problem-solving abilities and further increase their capacity in making responsible, well-informed decisions. Please fend off your parental instinct to “take care of it.” Instead of contacting your student’s professors, give your student some ideas on how they can approach their professors with the issues they are facing or refer them to the office of Academic Advising and Assistance (see below). Throughout your student’s time here at Gonzaga, they will become more vested in the experience or multitude of experiences that is higher education and these experiences will prepare them for future work, life, and service.
If your son or daughter presents you with a problem that you aren’t sure how to handle, or who to go to, refer him or her to our office, Academic Advising and Assistance, also known as AAA (formerly Academic Services). We can help with a variety of academic concerns or questions. We will meet with your student one-on-one to help with academic planning, academic advising and guidance, academic policy interpretation and explanation, and much more. We also can provide your student with a referral for a host of resources available on-campus including, but not limited to, career services, counseling, and disability resources. Please visit our website, www.gonzaga.edu/academicservices, for more information about our office, including contact information.