Parents Advisory Council Letter

May 22, 2024

Dear New Carleton College Parents,

Welcome to the Carleton College community. We’re writing to introduce ourselves and to share a few ways you can connect. We are the current leaders of the Parents Advisory Council, a group of parents who volunteer time to advise the college and serve as a resource to other parents. We hope that we can help you connect and find the information you need.

Start with the Gateway
The Parent/Family Gateway at go.carleton.edu/parents is a great place to begin when you have questions. It includes links to many of the campus offices that you or your student will need.  There are also links to important campus updates and calendars, parent newsletters, webinars, and more.

Advice for New College Parents/Guardians
On the Gateway you will also see a link to the Family Guide, under “Information and Policies.” We encourage all first-time parents/guardians of college students to review this guide. The section titled “Advice for Parents” provides useful tips on what to expect developmentally as your student progresses through Carleton. We urge you to pay special attention to the section about student privacy rights and parental notification.  At 18, students are adults, and the college is limited in what information it can share with you.  We encourage you to have thoughtful conversations with your Carl to set mutual expectations about connection and updates about how they are doing.

Connecting With Other Carleton Families
Through the Gateway, you also have access to the Family Directory (under “Parent Services”), which includes a geographical listing of parents/guardians, the names and classes of their students, and contact information. We hope you will find this information helpful in identifying other Carleton families in your area with whom you can share information, insights, and interests. The updated directory can be accessed after July 1 with password knights2024.

Although the directory information about parents is considered “public information” within the Carleton community, we respect everyone’s preferences for privacy. To update and/or exclude your information from the online directory, you can do so after July 1 at www.carleton.edu/parents/update.

If you’d like to connect with fellow parents/guardians online, you can join the privately-run “Carleton College Parents Group” on Facebook.

We have found Carleton to be an academically rigorous and supportive environment for our students, and we’re confident that you will, too. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of the Dean of Students at (507) 222-4075 or reach out to Trey Williams, Class Dean for First-Year Students at twilliams@carleton.edu.

Sincerely,