Family Referral Guide
Here are some issues that students face from time to time, along with people and offices they may contact for assistance. Suggestions are included for how you may be helpful as well.
Absenteesim
Daughter Should Contact: Professor, Class
Dean, Academic Adviser
Try to determine the extent of the problem. Is it one class or several? Encourage your
daughter to be honest about her current situation.
Academic Problems
Daughter Should Contact: Class Dean,
Academic Adviser
Class deans and advisers are committed to helping students succeed. Either one will be able
to guide her in the right direction.
Excessive Alcohol Use
Daughter Should Contact: Wellness Education Director, Health
Services
Try to determine the extent of abuse. Encourage her to seek professional help. This
problem can be a tough one for parents to handle alone.
Cars on Campus and Parking Tickets
Daughter Should Contact: Public Safety
First-year students must not bring a car to Smith expecting to be able to park legally on campus
or on city streets. If your daughter does bring her car, you should have a clear understanding
at the beginning of the semester about how parking tickets will be handled.
Death or Serious Illness in the Family
Family or Daughter Should Contact: Dean
of Students, Class Dean, Dean
of Religious Life
We can help you in many ways, including locating
your daughter in class if need be, helping to make arrangements for travel home, etc.
Financial Aid and Billing Issues
Daughter Should Contact: Student Financial
Services
Homesickness/Loneliness
Daughter Should Contact: Associate Dean
of Students, Residence Life Staff, Counseling
Service
Everybody gets homesick. At the beginning of the semester, determine when visits home will
be scheduled and when you might be able to visit campus (Family
Weekend is a good time). Encourage your daughter to get involved. Keep in mind that the
busier she is, the less time she has to feel homesick.
Illness of Student
Daughter Should Contact: Health Services, Class
Dean
Encourage your daughter to go to Health Services for treatment.
Leave of Absence
Daughter Should Contact: Class Dean,
Academic Adviser
If your daughter is thinking of taking a leave of absence or might require a medical leave of absence,
her class dean will guide her on how best to complete this process.
Deciding on a Major
Daughter Should Contact: Class Dean,
Academic Adviser, Faculty
Students are required to declare a major in the second semester of their sophomore year, but the
first year of college is not too early to begin exploring interests, skills and values.
Registration Issues
Daughter Should Contact: Registrar, Class
Dean
Roommate Conflicts
Daughter Should Contact: Area
Coordinator, Head Resident
Encourage your daughter to take time to work through conflicts. Discuss the educational value of
learning to get along with people who are different from her.
Safety
Daughter Should Contact: Public Safety,
Residence Life Staff
Smith College is a safe place, but students need to be reminded that they are not invincible. Tips
on personal safety and security of property will be provided by the Residential Life Staff.
