NO CRYSTAL BALL

One thing to note: our residence hall staff members do not own a crystal ball. While we are often aware of general trends of what our students may be going through, we will not know a particular student’s situation unless they communicate directly with us.

Our staff members are interested in getting to know their community members. Encourage your student to reach out to their resident assistant regarding:

• Interest areas for programmatic efforts

• Areas of growth – studying habits, getting to know others, learning to live independently, etc.

• Areas of strength – what they’re great at, how they can assist others in the community, etc.

If a student is experiencing a situation that would benefit from discussing it with a resident director or a resident assistant, we encourage the student to initiate that conversation.

Communication

While we know you are trying to be helpful by making a phone call on behalf of your student, please note that we are bound by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regarding what we are able to share about your student. It is in their best interest for the student to contact their resident assistant, resident director, or the department regarding their concerns for the following reasons:

• We truly see your student as an adult – they are over 18 and legally, independent from their parent/guardian.

• Your student is facing an obstacle. It is important for them to learn to communicate through problem solving, and advocate for themselves.

• The students are the ones who will be living with the results of whatever the issue may be. What might be okay and satisfactory for you as a support person, may not be what a student would choose or advocate for. We want to hear what your student thinks.

If you feel your student has exhausted options for problem solving, please do reach out, and make us aware of what your student has experienced. Please understand that while we are limited in what we can share with you due to FERPA, we are able to hear anything you would wish to share with us regarding a situation. For you to be involved in a conversation with your student, via phone, virtual meeting, or in-person, we will request your student complete a Release of Information form for us to be able to convene.

In summary, we want to partner with you, but we want your student to learn to be independent in their decision-making, problem solving, and advocacy skills. Encourage them to let us know what is going on for them. We want to be as helpful as we can through your student’s transition to UW-Platteville, as well as get them directly to resources that can support their academic and social efforts.