Dear parents and families, 

Happy September!

Following a fun and informative orientation for our new students, our fall semester is off to a great start. 

This time of year always reminds me of new beginnings and the hopes of our students. They are enjoying rekindling friendships (and forming new ones), sharing the academic and professional adventures of this past summer, preparing for the classroom, and learning more about our wonderful campus offerings through events like the Activities Fair, which was held on September 2.

The transition to a new academic year is also a period of adjustment. As the semester gets underway, I would like to remind you of some of the ways you can support your student: 

1. Ask your student how their courses are going. What do they like? What do they find challenging? Encourage them to familiarize themselves with the academic resources that are available on campus. One of the most utilized academic resources is The Learning Center. Through The Learning Center, there are several academic tutoring and peer mentoring sessions available, ranging in many academic subjects, as well as skills training workshops, such as time management and note-taking.
2. Be a coach. If your student lets you know they are struggling in their classes or are facing personal issues, listen to them and work together to seek solutions. Communicate with your student about their courses by asking about their course materials and assignments, syllabus, and faculty interaction rather than focusing on grades. Encourage your student to reach out to different resources available on campus, such as their academic advisers, professors, or student health services available at Habif Health and Wellness. 
3. For time outside of available appointments, please encourage your student to download and register for TimelyCare. TimelyCare offers 24/7 telehealth support and a range of services, including counseling, health coaching, and on-demand medical care. Students should register using their WashU email address. 
4. Encourage your student to visit the Career Center as they consider internship, research, and professional opportunities. Our team in the Career Center is dedicated to helping your student maximize their experiences as they navigate these important searches. There is a Career Fair slated to be held in the Athletic Complex on Thursday, September 22 from 3-7 p.m. To attend, your student will need to set-up their profile in Handshake. Handshake is WashU’s new career management platform, providing access to internship and job opportunities, skill building workshops, and employer events. 
5. Continue to stay in touch. As the semester goes on, your student may have a busier schedule and a harder time reaching out to you. Sticking to your original communication plan on your part can help your student feel supported.

We also hope to see you during Parent and Family Weekend, occurring October 21-23, 2022. This is a wonderful time of connection for our campus community and represents one of our most celebrated annual traditions. 

If you have questions, please email families@wustl.edu or call us at 314.935.5040 or toll free at 844.935.5040. Helpful information is also available on the parents & families website.

Warmly, 

Anna "Dr. G" Gonzalez

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Fall 2022

October 8 - 11: Fall Break (No classes)

October 21 - 23: Parent & Family Weekend

November 23 - 25: Thanksgiving Break (No classes)

December 9: Last day of classes

December 12 - 21: Reading period and finals

Thank you for joining us for Parent & Family Orientation! We hope you enjoyed your time with us. If you were not able to attend the Dean’s Meetings or Parents as Partners meeting, you can view recordings on our website. 

On behalf of the Washington University in St. Louis community, we want to say congratulations on helping your student make it to this point in their academic career. Students have finished their first few weeks of classes and have had the opportunity to meet their professors, participate in First 40 activities, and get acquainted with life on campus. 

First 40 at WashU is the university's 40-day welcome back schedule of fun, social, and educational programs which will help introduce your student to their peers, campus, and St. Louis. Students can access the event schedule through WUGO, the Washington University Group Organizer. First 40 events are free and open to all undergraduate students. 

By this time, your first-year student will have finalized the class schedule for their first semester. Discuss class and exam schedules with your student and if they are making travel plans for Fall Break, Parent & Family Weekend, or Thanksgiving, now is a good time to finalize these with your student. We also encourage you to look ahead and begin preparations for winter break travel plans by viewing the university's academic calendar. 

We at Student Transitions & Family Programs are pleased to be your partner in launching your student into the WashU community. We want to hear from you if there is a serious family or personal matter that will affect your student or if you have questions in coaching your student to utilize the resources at WashU. We appreciate your help in encouraging your student to self-advocate and look forward to supporting both your student and your family in the transition to college.



We encourage you to visit the parents & families website call us at 844-935-5040, or email families@wustl.edu.

Parent & Family Weekend at Washington University in St. Louis is an opportunity for student and family members to reconnect on campus. Throughout the weekend, you will be able to spend time with your student, meet other WashU families, interact with and learn from outstanding faculty, explore St. Louis, and much more. Parent & Family Weekend 2022 will take place Friday, October 21 – Sunday, October 23.

Parent & Family Weekend registration, ticket sales, and t-shirt sales are open!  Advanced sales will end at Noon CST on Monday, October 10th.

Visit the Parent & Family Weekend website to view the most up-to-date information, register to attend, and purchase tickets and t-shirts (pictured above).

View a recording of the Parent & Family Weekend Webinar for more information.

Handshake is a career management platform to help your student discover career options, and find internship and job opportunities. They’ll also use it to learn about events and programs on campus, network, connect with employers, and more.

Please encourage your student to set up their Handshake profile right away! The system will alert them to opportunities based on their indicated interests and preferences. The WashU Career Center website has links to videos to help get started.

Opportunities are happening all the time, but your student will definitely want to use Handshake to register for our Fall 2022 All-Campus Internship & Job Fair on Thursday, September 22.

The upcoming webinars for our Fall 2022 Family Webinar Series can be found below! This series was designed to help your student succeed by answering all of their and your WashU questions. Recordings of past webinars are available on the Webinar Series page.

A Conversation About Academic Support

• October 12 at 5:30 PM
• Washington University in St. Louis provides many resources to help students achieve their academic goals. The Learning Center and the Writing Center are two such resources. Dr. Jay Sriram, Director of the Learning Center, and Dr. Robert Patterson, Director of the Writing Center, join us for a conversation on academic support and resources. The Learning Center, known as the academic support hub of campus, offers academic mentoring sessions with the goal of teaching students how to study and develop effective study skills. The Writing Center provides writing support at any stage of the writing process from brainstorming and planning to reviewing and revising drafts of any writing.
• Register online to attend the webinar.