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For many students, moving away from the home, family and community they grew up in to live on a college campus is an exciting transition into adulthood.

But this major life change can at times be filled with growing pains, said Shana Lee, assistant dean of students and director of the Office of Parents and Family Engagement at ��ɫ��Ƶ. 

Lee herself remembers those feelings all too well.

“It’s a huge transition … and I was one of those students where I was calling my mom every weekend, and she was like, ‘I’m not coming to get you. You better figure it out.’ And I survived,” Lee told ��ɫ��Ƶ Today. “It’s a growing pain, you know, for some students, but, you know, once they get their legs up under them, they'll be okay.”

��ɫ��Ƶ offers a variety of resources to help students feel empowered to live and learn on their own, she said. ��ɫ��Ƶ is nationally recognized for its student support, recently earning two and two top grand prizes from NASPA, the nation’s leading student affairs organization.

In addition to resources geared toward students, there are many services and tools to help parents and families stay engaged with their students and the greater ��ɫ��Ƶ community, Lee said.

One such resource is Parents and Families Appreciation Weekend, coming up on Sept. 25-26, 2026.

“This is the one weekend where it's designated for the family,” Lee said. “Our campus rolls out the red carpet for them, and we have some really good partners that participate … from the president's office all the way down to our student organizations.”

Featured events this year include a breakfast tailgate, a football game against Ball State, Parents and Families Paint Night and activities within various colleges and organizations.

New this year is the Flashes About Town Scavenger Hunt, in which families can explore businesses in downtown Kent. Participating locations will feature giveaways, discounts, promotional items and other incentives, Lee said.

“Families were asked to nominate their favorite downtown locations in various areas,” Lee said. “All the restaurants and businesses gave us a cool, fun fact about them, so that's going to be the clue. And so they're going to have to venture around downtown to find what that spot is.”

The goal is for parents to familiarize themselves with popular spots in Kent, which was recently named “Ohio’s Best College Town” by .

Resources for parents and families don’t stop after the designated weekend, though, Lee added.

The Office of Parents and Families Engagement offers a twice-monthly newsletter, the Flashes Parents and Families Council, webinars and additional informational materials on its website.

“When the parents feel good about their kiddos being here, that translates to the student,” Lee said. “They want to do more and they'll be involved more. Parents will come to campus and support them more. They'll learn more about the university.”

Parents can reach out to the office anytime with specific questions, Lee added.

“I try to help facilitate getting their answers that they need. Sometimes they just need reassurance because they just don't know where to start, or they don't understand what their student is experiencing,” Lee said. “So, [I’m] trying to ease some of the questions and concerns that they may have but to also build affinity with the university.”

��ɫ��Ƶ is dedicated to helping parents and families stay informed and connected with the campus, no matter how far away they may live from their Golden Flash.