by Anitra Budd

Online learning isn’t just for students at the University of Minnesota. Thanks to a successful joint effort between the Department of Family Social Science and the University Parent Program (UPP), parents now have access to online courses that address the important issues of campus alcohol use and financial planning for college students.

The collaboration started as a chance meeting that quickly blossomed into a great idea. “When I first came to the University in 2002, I was doing research on college students and risky behaviors,” says Jodi Dworkin, extension specialist and assistant professor of family social science. “Marjorie Savage, the director of the UPP, wanted to write about my work.”

Together the pair quickly recognized a gap in available parent resources. “Some parents [of college students] can be hard to reach,” Dworkin explains. “Maybe they don’t feel comfortable calling the campus, or just don’t know who to contact, or maybe they can’t easily come to campus.”

The solution? Two courses aimed at reaching parents off campus, online. Alcohol Use on Campus, launched in 2005, addresses the risks associated with binge drinking. It offers parents information, discussion, and education to help them talk with their students about alcohol use and abuse. It also provides national and campus-based statistics, tips for talking about alcohol use, online discussion opportunities, and a list of campus resources.

Many parents don’t get the opportunity to return to campus once orientation
is over. Online courses developed by family social science assistant
professor Jodi Dworkin give a window into aspects of their students’ lives.

The second parent course, Student Finances, launched in 2006. It addresses personal finance issues, including budget planning, student loans, and the responsible use of credit. Parents are often unsure about when and how to teach their children about fiscal responsibility, particularly when their children begin attending college. This course offers parents tools and support to assist them in talking to their students about financial responsibility.

Both courses are delivered via WebCT course management software, allowing parents to peruse the material on their own time and at their own pace. Learning within the WebCT system, which many University faculty use for their courses, also gives parents a firsthand look at their students’ educational experiences. The courses feature hypothetical scenarios, polls, and linked discussions throughout. And perhaps most important to families shouldering hefty tuition bills, both courses are offered free of charge. Between 300 and 400 parents have taken the courses since their inceptions.

“The collaboration between Family Social Science and the Parent Program has been really exciting,” notes Savage. “We’ve combined their research and knowledge and our ability to apply that knowledge.”

Resources from across the University helped bring the courses to fruition. “Student announcers from Radio K helped us record some of the audio sections. Usability Services assisted with the functionality of the courses, and we received great information on mental health issues from the Aurora Center and on student finances from the Financial Aid Office,” Dworkin says.

To date, the results of the project have been encouraging. Preliminary course evaluations of Alcohol Use on Campus indicated that virtually all participants would recommend the course to a friend; three-quarters had discussed topics from the course with their students. In recognition of their efforts, Dworkin and Savage received two awards in 2006: the Innovations in Student Development Award from the Minnesota College Personnel Association and an award for innovation and mission advancement from the former College of Human Ecology.

Dworkin and Savage are discussing ways to spread their information to even more parents. “Right now we’re selling both courses to other colleges across the country,” Dworkin explains. “The idea is that colleges pay us a fee so that they can offer the courses to their parents for free.” Talks for future courses, including ones on sexuality and health and safety, are also in the works. “We’ve done a couple of focus groups with commuter students and students of color,” she notes, with an eye toward improving the current courses and possibly creating new content in the future.

As Savage says, “The courses affect parents, but they also ultimately affect students, which is what we’re really striving for.”

For further information on these courses, as well as additional resources for parents, visit the University Parent Program or e-mail parent@umn.edu.

PHOTO: Patrick O'Leary