Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           www.selu.edu/NewsEvents
    Date: 3/11/98
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple  132

Editors: Photo accompanies release
PARENTS BAND TOGETHER IN NEW SLU PARENT ORGANIZATION
     HAMMOND -- Debra St. Pierre knows all about parent involvement. She's been an
active volunteer throughout the school days of her daughter, Naomi, a Southeastern freshman,
and son, Nathan, a junior at John Ehret High School in Marrerro.
     So, when St. Pierre heard Vice President for Student Affairs Patsy Causey's pitch for a
new Southeastern Parent Organization at Freshman Orientation, it was only natural that she
would raise her hand. 
      "In every school my children went into I started the parent organization," St. Pierre said.
"Involvement is very important to me."
     "My daughter says, 'Oh, there she goes again!'" she added with a laugh.
     St. Pierre is chairing the steering committee that is getting Southeastern's first Parent
Organization off the ground. Since last fall, when approximately 160 parents filled out interest
cards at Orientation, the committee has met twice to draft a constitution, bylaws and mission
statement and has manned an informational booth at Homecoming 1997. Members of the
fledgling group also set up tables at Lee, Livingston and Cardinal Newman residence halls
"check-in" in January,  giving out information to around 70 potential new members.
     Causey and Dean of Students Jill Landesberg are happy to have the support of veteran
volunteers like St. Pierre and the more than two dozen other "very committed, energetic" parents
who have formed the core of what they hope will soon be an active support group of parents. 
     Landesberg and her graduate assistant, Kim Downey, are the Parent Organization's
university liaisons. "The idea of a Parent Organization has been ruminating for a couple of
                                 (MORE) 
SLU PARENT ORGANIZATION -- Add One
years," said Landesberg, who joined the Southeastern administration last fall. It's not an
uncommon thing for a university to have. Parent Organizations form a good connection between
parents and the university and they can also help with student retention and recruitment."
     The Parent Organization has outlined as its general purpose "to create an atmosphere of
unity between the university and parents, to promote parental involvement in university
activities, and to build active communication with the university." The new group is open to any
parent of an enrolled student with a modest dues of $35 per household or $20 per single parent.
     "We want to be a very positive group," said St. Pierre, "and to dwell on the positive
things that the university can do for our children and that we can do for the university. The
Parent Organization can be a sounding board and offer suggestions," she said. Tentative plans
call for distributing a parent newsletter and for representing the university at area college fairs.
     If St. Pierre is any indication, parents can be great recruiters. St. Pierre said her family
had no previous connection to Southeastern until her daughter, who was valedictorian of her
class at John Ehret High School, visited campus while deciding where to go to college. "We
visited a lot of universities," St. Pierre said. "When we visited Southeastern everyone was so
receptive and nice. I really liked the atmosphere." St. Pierre helped organize a visit to campus
March 12 by two busloads -- approximately 70 students -- from John Ehret. Southeastern
Enrollment Services staged a special program for the students and treated them to a noon picnic
in the Student Union Park.
     "I am so pleased with Southeastern that I want other kids to visit the university and see it
too. Once they see Southeastern, I know they'll be impressed," she said.
     Parents interested in joining the Parent Organization can call Kim Downey in the Dean
Landesberg's office, 504-549-2212.
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