Every year, Portland State University sends a class of accomplished graduates out into the world who are dedicated to excellence, individuality, and community engagement. But parents and family play a significant role in guiding students and supporting them throughout their time at Portland State.
Now, a new online resource launched by the Office of Admissions will give parents and families customized information to help them support their students at PSU. The Portland State Family Hub, powered by CampusESP, goes live this week.
Parents and family of prospective students will get access to important news and deadlines, newsletters curated to their interests, announcements via email, and share updates with friends and family. PSU is committed to ensuring that students can engage fully in and out of the classroom. Whatever their identity or background, students should be able to find the support to succeed and the community to belong at Portland State.
The goal for the new hub is to connect with parents and family so that everyone can work together to support students and care for them throughout their college experience, said Chuck Knepfle, PSU Vice President for Enrollment Management. When parents and family have more knowledge about PSU, they are better able to help their students excel in college both academically and socially.
“Family support and engagement are critical to student success. And nearly half of our students are first generation college students, so for many of these families, they’re traversing the college experience for the first time together,” Knepfle said. “We want to provide support to everyone throughout this process. This new family portal will provide a personalized strategy to engage PSU families as well as provide them with key information to support their students while they’re at PSU.”
Parents and families can choose the news, information and advice they wish to receive through the Portland State Family Hub platform by selecting from a variety of online communities, including Student Success, Campus Life, Financial Aid & Scholarships, Health, Wellness & Safety, Housing & Residence Life, Career Support, News, among others. Families can join new communities at any time by selecting the “Discover Communities” button at the bottom left column of the platform’s homepage.
Families can also choose the frequency with which they receive news and updates by clicking the person icon at the top right of the homepage and choosing “Edit Notification Preferences.” Additionally, the platform includes a comment feature that can be used to ask questions of PSU staff and to engage with other parents and families. And a star icon located on the right of each post allows families to save the post within their personal folder so they can flag important information and revisit it at their convenience.
Parents and family of prospective students will receive an email from PSU with sign up information. Or you can access the Portland State Family Hub and enter your email address to sign up. Answer a few questions, and a wealth of information will be available at your fingertips. Be on the lookout for a welcome email confirming you’ve signed up.
For more information about the Portland State Family Hub, contact the Office of Admissions.