New Student Orientation

Family Association
Parent & Family Orientation
Family Orientation Newsletters

Parents and Family,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Jacksonville University community.  I am the Assistant Dean of Students and supervise the students who coordinate the New Student Orientation program during the summer.  I also work closely with students and families throughout the academic year in a variety of capacities. 

I, along with the Communications Coordinator for Orientation, will be your point of contact for orientation.  Our Orientation program is very unique in that it is planned and coordinated by four student leaders.  We take great pride in the program that we have developed to illustrate our commitment to the holistic development of our students. 

We recognize that both families and students share a great deal of excitement and anxiety about college life.  Through our Orientation program, we hope to help ease your anxieties and begin to foster the relationship between your family and the JU community. Our three day program is designed to reflect our commitment to learning both in and out of the classroom.  You can view more details about each day under the “Fall 2008 Orientation Schedule” tab on the web page. 

I would like to stress the importance of attending and encouraging your student to attend each Orientation session.  The sessions have been intentionally designed to help with the transition into college.  We also have scheduled time for room set-up, shopping off campus, and spending time together as a family.  Please adhere to the schedule to gain the most from the orientation experience.

I am a parent, and understand some of the anxieties that you are likely experiencing with the upcoming transition.  Although, I must confess that my anxiety surrounds sending my child to preschool, not college.  We hope to serve as partners through this transition and encourage you to attend the Parent Orientation Sessions and recommend that you read Letting Go: A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years  by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger prior to August.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at kgover1@ju.edu or 904.256.7070.

Sincerely,

Kristie Gover
Assistant Dean of Students