Parents engaged in new initiative supporting C of I
2011. 05. 18.
The College of Idaho has many important groups of stakeholders. From students and alumni to faculty, staff and the Board of Trustees, thousands of people invest their time, money and talents to ensure the success of the College both today and in the future.
Students' parents are one such group. While parents spend less time on campus than other constituencies, they remain essential to the advancement of the College. With that in mind, the Office of College Relations has launched an initiative to engage more parents. The effort began with the February announcement that new director Lisa DeDapper would lead a restructured office to support alumni and parent relations. It continues this spring as the College launches its Parent Council, a small committee aimed at increasing participation, advocacy and fundraising among the C of I parent community.
“Parents were kind of an uncharted territory we hadn't fully utilized,” said DeDapper, a 1978 C of I graduate. “The Parent Council is going to be a great tool for getting the word out so people know how special the College is.”
The Parent Council is overseen by DeDapper and Boone Fund Coordinator Tara Wensel '09. The inaugural council includes six Treasure Valley couples – Roger and Vicki Cantlon, Ray and Marybeth Flachbart, Zil and Annemarie Hasnain, Kevin and Sue Hughes, Paul and Karen Montgomery and Michael and Susan Smith. Each couple is responsible to attend quarterly meetings, donate $1,000 to the College each fiscal year and host one annual event at their home to talk about C of I with friends and community members. President Marv Henberg and his wife, Laurie, will attend each of the hosted events.
“Parents are different from alumni or faculty or staff, but they can be instrumental in the success of the College,” said Wensel, whose parents hosted a Parent Council kickoff event in April. “When parents talk about C of I within their circle of influence, they become great ambassadors for the school.”
DeDapper and Wensel are eager to get the Parent Council up and running. To learn more about the program or to offer suggestions, email Lisa at ldedapper@collegeofidaho.edu or Tara at twensel@collegeofidaho.edu.
Founded in 1891, The College of Idaho is the state's oldest private liberal arts college. It has a century-old tradition of educating some of the most accomplished graduates in Idaho, including six Rhodes Scholars, three Marshall Scholars, and another ten Truman and Goldwater Scholars. The College is located on a beautiful campus in Caldwell, Idaho. Its distinctive PEAK curriculum challenges students to attain competencies in the four knowledge peaks of the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and a professional field, enabling them to graduate with an academic major and three minors in four years. For more information on The College of Idaho, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.