ISUPA callers check status of students

Angela Bartley

The Iowa State University Parents Association conducts many projects and events for all families to welcome them into the Cyclone family.

The ISUPA, along with the Office of Orientation and Campus Visits, currently is holding its annual call-a-thon project to show parents that ISU is committed to the success of its students.

“We want to show [parents] that ISU is a caring environment,” said Nicole Martin, graduate assistant for the Alumni Association.

The call-a-thon is designed to serve and assist parents and their sons or daughters as they ease into college life.

Martin said callers deal with all sorts of questions and concerns, including roommate problems and involvement with the campus.

“Parents will say to the caller that they have another child at another institution that they can’t get a hold of, and [they can’t believe ISU is] calling,” Martin said.

Associate Dean of Students Houston Dougharty said parents appreciate the call.

“Ninety-five percent of the time [the parents] don’t have questions, but they say how cool the call was,” Dougharty said.

The calls are made by 25 students who were required to go through a training session to teach them how to deal with any problems parents may want help with.

Dougharty said student-callers throw out ideas and suggestions to help parents deal with any concerns they may have.

He said 50 percent of the time, student-callers can answer the parents’ questions. However, if a student-caller or staff member cannot answer the question, he or she will find the answer and call the parent back, Dougharty said.

“I think it is great that the university takes the time to show that they care for its students,” said Deborah Dahlby, parent of freshman Ryan Dahlby, of the project.