Berkeleyan

New Cal Parents website unveiled
The parentis info here is anything but loco

By Noel Gallagher, Public Affairs | 25 August 2005

What's blue and gold and read all over? Among other things, the revamped Cal Parents website.

The new site (calparents.berkeley.edu), which launched earlier this month, offers links to a rich variety of information resources tailored to the needs of new and prospective students and parents. It includes information on the most commonly asked questions from parents, advice from other Cal parents about making the transition to college and supporting their kids along the way, and phone and e-mail contacts for Cal Parents Director Diana Musto of Public Affairs.

"Parents, especially those of new and prospective students, are keenly interested in the campus," says Musto. "The new site helps families find information fast, keeps them up to date on campus news and events, and makes them part of the campus community, even if they live far from Berkeley."

Faculty profiles, the campus online tour, and extensive links to resources are among the highlights of the new website. Links to scores of sites offer information about visiting the campus, the latest campus news, university policies, campus life, parent involvement, and advising, financial aid, jobs and careers, and health issues.

The site dispenses common-sense advice and practical information on a range of subjects, including guidance on how two friends can arrange to be roommates in the residence halls, and why parents can't get copies of their students' grades, even when they're paying the fees. One of the most useful services the Cal Parents staff provides is advice, based on years of experience with students and parents, on such matters as how often new students should visit home, or what to do when a student isn't getting along with a roommate.

Parents can learn about course offerings, admissions information, housing options, the Education Abroad Program, student organizations, and athletic events and teams.

There's more: welcome messages from Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and other campus officials, essays on the history of the campus and its traditions, and links to videos and webcasts to learn more about Berkeley. The site is a useful tool for parents at all stages of their students' Cal experience ÷ from those still shopping for colleges to those with graduating seniors.