By Jennifer Willis
Communications Staff
While their college freshmen attended a new-student orientation in Antelope Gym, parents filed into GCU Arena for an orientation of their own on Friday.
Dean of Students Pastor Tim Griffin made some announcements before introducing parents to the people who would be helping to guide their students through the next four years.
Topics such as meal plans, FERPA, disciplinary actions, campus safety, spiritual life, tutoring and student jobs were covered. The latter subject seemed to perk up the ears of many in the audience.
While talking about the safety procedures that are in place and things that also have been done to make students feel safe, Director of Public Safety Henry Griffin joked that he had asked students what they would like for him to tell their parents to put their minds at ease.
The response? “Send money!” he informed the crowd with a chuckle. He then gave the parents a chance to send a message to their students. The collective shout among those gathered: “Get a job!”
Parents seemed to appreciate what was being provided. For questions that weren’t answered satisfactorily during the presentation, tables for each topic were set up in the lobby.
A mother who had driven her freshman son in from Payson was impressed with information obtained about campus security, especially hearing that GCU was ranked 25th in the country last year for safety and security.
“Dropping him off to live on his own for the first time and not living close to him is my biggest concern,” she said. “I can’t just rush over here at the drop of a hat if something happens.”
Her husband was extremely impressed with the look of the campus.
“I worked for a continuing education program that partnered with GCU about 20 years ago when it was still a college,” he said. “Quite frankly, we wouldn’t have let our son go here if it still looked the way it did then. When we came to tour, we were blown away by its growth. Seeing the campus sold us.”
Reach Jennifer Willis at 639.7383 or [email protected].
