Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Welcome to City Tech, Fall 2011

Welcome to the City Tech family. Is your son or daughter just starting college? If so, it is important to recognize that this is a major step in your child's life. He or she will have more responsibility (and more ability to make their own decisions, for better and for worse) than in high school. College students have to take on the responsibility for organizing their own time. Unlike high school, no one will check up on them on a daily basis to be sure they are reviewing notes, doing assigned reading and so forth. They have to buy their own books, apply for financial aid, make sure their tuition bill is paid and adhere to the strict attendance policy of the College.

You should know that they will have more homework, more assigned reading, and perhaps feel considerably more pressure than they felt in high school. They may have real doubts about whether they are up to the task. The College offers our students a wide range of support. Students should take advantage of the Advisement Center, where they initially registered for classes. For other academic and personal issues, the Counseling Center, directly across the hall, is available for individual and group sessions, at no charge. There are Learning Centers, where tutoring and other supplemental materials are available, in both the Namm complex and in Voorhees Hall. If your student appears to be struggling, you could help by suggesting that they take advantage of the services we can offer.
The College also offers health services in the Pearl Building. We monitor students’ academic progress and reach out when they appear to be in academic difficulty. There is a complete listing of student services in the Student Handbook and on the College web site.

But, we can’t do it alone. Your support and encouragement are extremely important to your child, even when – in a completely age-appropriate mode! – they are reluctant to show it. You and the College have exactly the same goal: your child's success. We are very pleased to have you as a partner in reaching that goal. We will do our best, on these pages and elsewhere, to provide tools to help you in that role.

These questions and others of importance to parents will be discussed at the parent session of the New Student Orientation. It will be an opportunity to open a dialogue that we hope will continue until we all watch with pride as your daughter or son graduates. We hope to see you at Orientation!