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Parents' Association Picks Up Steam

Meeting of the Loyola University Chicago Parents’ Association
Courtney Weiting-Ashley (left), mother of Elanor Weiting, and Barbara Ashley and James Ashley, parents of Courtney Ashley, attend a meeting of the Loyola University Chicago Parents’ Association.
This August, when parents of Loyola freshmen finish moving their sons and daughters into their new residence hall rooms, they’ll be welcomed at the Parent Move-In Lounge. Parents will be able to relax, meet other parents, enter their new students in a raffle to win various prizes and gift certificates, and ask questions. The Parent Move-In Lounge is just one of the initiatives of the Loyola University Chicago Parents’Association (LUCPA). The group was formed by Richard Salmi, S.J., vice president for student affairs, in the summer of 2005.

“Many parents want to be more involved, so we provided this forum for parental contributions to the University,” says Salmi. “I’m enthusiastic about the ideas generated in this first year and grateful for association members’ feedback and assistance with campus programs for Loyola parents.”

With members who live as far away as Connecticut—joining in discussions via teleconference—and as close as Chicago’s suburbs, LUCPA is serving as a valued advisory board for Loyola administrators.

“The goal is really to bridge communication from current parents to staff at Loyola, and to work collaboratively to find opportunities to more fully engage Loyola parents in the University community,” says Katie Reifenberg, director of development for mission and ministry.

Reifenberg says LUCPA’s initiatives for the upcoming school year include parents of upperclassmen participating in freshman student orientation, planning events for Parents’ Weekend (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) and establishing new channels of communication to parents.

All current parents are invited to attend the next LUCPA meeting on Sept. 30. For more information or to learn more about LUCPA, contact Katie Reifenberg at kreifen@luc.edu or 312-915-7250.

APRIL SPECHT