Though your student is no longer living at home, families (both those we are born into and the ones we make) have an important part to play in assisting students in developing skills beyond the classroom. Residence Education wants to partner with families to make the experience of living on campus more meaningful for residents.
Residents will often turn to their families first if they need help solving a problem. Families often see their responsibilities in the LEND Model:
- Listen to the student’s problem;
- Empower the student to solve the problem themselves;
- Nudge the student in the right direction to get them to solve the problem; and
- Direct the student to go solve the problem.
Most families will contact Residence Education when directing doesn’t work. We would like to partner with you in the earlier stages of the LEND Model to make the transition to college life easier on your student. We suggest families do two things to engage with residents within our learning model.
- First, ask your student what they are experiencing in the residence halls. Students are more likely to contact their family to discuss problems, but there are many aspects of their experience to discuss. Students are engaging with their community on a weekly and sometimes daily basis and will learn more from their experience if they reflect upon it and discuss it with someone they care about.
- Second, there will likely be a time when your student tells you about a problem they are facing. We ask that you empower them to fix it. If a student needs assistance, they should contact their RA or Residence Life themselves. Learning how (and when) to seek help is a vital part of future success. We want to help residents learn how to ask for assistance in a supportive and controlled environment so they are more able and willing to do so in the professional world and in their personal lives.
If you need assistance helping your student, please contact our office at housing@mtu.edu. If your student is experiencing a crisis and needs immediate assistance, please contact Public Safety and Police Services.