Freshman Parent & Family Orientation 2013

 

Description and Purpose

Parents and family members continue to play a role of the utmost importance in their college student's development and education. Freshman Parent & Family Orientation helps families create realistic expectations and offers a great deal of information to assist families and students in making the freshman transition to Michigan.

Each summer the Office of New Student Programs offers approximately 33 two-day orientation sessions for the parents and adult family members of new students admitted for the Fall Term.

Parent & Family Orientation, run separately from the student program, focuses on a variety of topics of interest to parents and family members of new students. These include housing, money management, academic requirements, health services, personal and property safety, student life, and family transition. These presentations are given by faculty and staff, and also by current University students.

Although parents and family members may attend Orientation on the same date as their student, please remember that the family and student programs are entirely separate; there are no scheduled meetings between family members and students during Orientation. The Freshman Orientation programs and the Parent & Family Orientation programs have separate itineraries and are located in separate buildings.

Ranging in size from 80 - 180 parents and family members, each Parent & Family Orientation group is led by three specially trained student leaders. These leaders share their impressions and experiences concerning University life with each group and are available to answer most any question.

Information about Parent & Family Orientation 2013 is mailed to the student's permanent address in mid- to late-April. If there are family members who live elsewhere who would like information, please contact the Office of New Student Programs.

If your student is unable to attend the summer orientation programs, he or she will attend "Fall Orientation" (see below). Please note that the Fall Orientation Parent & Family Orientation program is not identical to the Parent & Family Orientation program offered during the summer, and no hotel discounts are offered.

If your student has been admitted to the Summer-Half Term (they are beginning classes on June 27), there will be a Parent & Family Orientation program on Monday, June 24 - Tuesday, June 25 for parents and family members of summer-half term students. Click on "2013 Summer-Half Term Orientation Brochure" listed below for complete details.

 

 

Orientation Brochures & Emails

The Orientation brochure is mailed to your student's home address. We will begin mailing brochures in mid-April to families who have paid the enrollment deposit. Students also receive an email message with instructions to complete the Online Orientation Information. We understand that it is important for students and family members to communicate about orientation plans, so we will provide links to all of the orientation brochures here when they become available. (Links will be active in mid-April when orientation brochures are mailed.)

Students receive the following via U.S. mail:

  • 2013 Orientation mailer (Fall Term Admits)
  • 2013 Orientation mailer (Summer Half-Term Admits)

Students receive the following via email:

(OOI = Online Orientation Information)

  • 2013 OOI (Freshmen Summer-Half Term Admits)
  • 2013 Freshman OOI (Fall Term Admits)

Parents receive the following via email:

  • 2013 Parent Checklist

 

Parent & Family Orientation Check-In

Check-in for the freshman Parent & Family Orientation program takes place between 8:00-9:00 a.m. on the 2nd floor of the Michigan Union, located at 530 S. State Street (except for Sunday, June 9th -- see below). Please note that this is a different location than the freshman Student Orientation check-in location.

 

Families that are driving to Ann Arbor together will need to drop your student off at Markley Hall at 8:00 a.m. and then drive to the Maynard Street Parking Structure to park. From the parking structure, you will walk about 2 blocks to the Michigan Union for the Parent & Family Orientation check-in.

 

Families that are taking the shuttles from the Kensington Court or Holiday Inn Express hotels (see below) will take the shuttle from the hotels to Markley Hall, where all students will get off the shuttle. All parents and family members will stay on the shuttle which will then continue on to the Michigan Union for check-in.

 

ALTERNATIVE CHECK-IN LOCATION ON SUNDAY, JUNE 9
Due to the Ann Arbor Marathon scheduled for Sunday, June 9, many roads in Ann Arbor will be closed. As a result, the Parent & Family Orientation program check-in location will be moved to Palmer Commons on Sunday June 9th ONLY. If you are registered to attend orientation on Sunday, June 9th, you will receive an email from the Office of New Student Program with specific instructions for parking and check-in on that day.

 

 

 

Sample Schedule for Freshman Parent & Family Orientation

(subject to change).

DAY 1

8:00 Check In & Continental Breakfast

Welcome & Information Session, presented by the Office of New Student Programs

Living on Campus, presented by University Housing

Money Matters, presented by the Office of Financial Aid

Lunch & Information Tables on Campus Computing, TCF Bank, and Study Abroad

Transitions, presented by Counseling and Psychological Services

Community Matters, presented by the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, the Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Center and University Health Service

Health Resources, presented by University Health Service

Campus Safety, presented by the Department of Public Safety

Career Resources, presented by the Career Center

Student Panel, presented by the Office of New Student Programs

Central Campus Tour, presented by the Office of New Student Programs

 

DAY 2

Academics at Michigan, presented by the Office of New Student Programs and University of Michigan faculty

Meet with Representatives from your student's academic school or college

 

Timeline for Orientation Information

Beginning Mid-April
Approximately 2-3 weeks after students pay their enrollment deposit to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions (but no earlier than mid-April), the student will receive email information about Summer Orientation 2013. The student should register online for orientation as soon as the information is received to ensure the best possible selection of Orientation dates. Please encourage your student to pay careful attention to email messages from the University of Michigan so they don't accidentally miss their orientation email.

Details about Parent & Family Orientation will be mailed to the student's permanent address in the spring. Students can sign up parents and family members for an orientation session when they sign up for Freshman Orientation. Encourage your student to type in your email address very carefully, as your confirmation will be sent via email. Family members may also sign up for Parent & Family Orientation at a later date, but space is limited.

24 Hours after Registering for Orientation Online
Approximately 24 hours after the student registers online for a Freshman Summer Orientation program, he or she will receive an email confirmation which confirms the Orientation session to which the student has been assigned. Do not make any travel plans until this email confirmation has been received!

If the student registered a family member for Parent & Family Orientation, a separate confirmation email will be sent directly to the family member to confirm the Parent & Family Orientation date (if the student entered the parent email address correctly). If you have not received an email confirmation, please contact our office at (734) 764-6413 prior to your orientation date, and we can send one to your email address.

Please note: Student Orientation is 3-days long; Parent & Family Orientation is 2-days long. After you receive your confirmation emails, please keep this difference in mind as you make your travel plans.

 

June 3-August 2
Students and family members attend their assigned orientation sessions.

If your student is unable to attend orientation between June 3 - August 2, he or she will attend "Fall Orientation" (see below for details).

 

 

Signing up for Parent & Family Orientation

Information about signing up for Parent & Family Orientation will be mailed to the student's permanent address in the spring. Students can use the online registration form to sign up parents and family members for Parent & Family Orientation.

If you do not receive the orientation information, please call the Office of New Student Programs at (734) 764-6413 and we will register you by phone. The Parent & Family Orientation program can sometimes accommodate a small number of walk-ins, but not always. Walk-in spaces are generally more available for programs beginning on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.


Parent & Family Orientation Fee

The Parent & Family Orientation program is a self-supporting program and receives no tuition dollars. As a result, the Office of New Student Program charges a fee to all parents who attend the program, and the fees are designed to cover the entire cost of the program. The fee covers overhead costs, including room rentals, technology rentals and fees, student staff salaries, meals, beverages, program materials, invitation postage, and publications. Parent & Family Orientation fees are collected at check-in. We do NOT accept any orientation fees in advance. When you arrive at Parent & Family Orientation check-in, please be prepared to pay the program fee. We accept cash, checks, Visa, or MasterCard. We do NOT accept American Express.  Please Note: The orientation fee is different than the $200 Enrollment Deposit that students pay in advance to the University to secure their place in their freshman class. 

The fee for Parent & Family Orientation 2013 is as follows:

  • One Person: $70
  • Each Additional Person: $30

 

Parent & Family Member Accommodations

Kensington Court & Holiday Inn Express Hotels

Although students are permitted to stay in Markley Hall during the length of their orientation program, we are unable to provide housing for parents and family members in Markley Hall. Instead, the Office of New Student Programs has made arrangements with the Kensington Court and the Holiday Inn Express to provide discounted rates for students’ families attending Summer Orientation (programs beginning Monday, June 3, 2013 - Wednesday, July 31, 2013). The Kensington Court and the Holiday Inn Express are both located on the same property, approximately 22 miles west of Detroit Metropolitan Airport and just 2 miles south of the University of Michigan near I-94.

 

Services and amenities for both facilities include an indoor pool and whirlpool. Each room features a hair dryer, coffee maker, full-size ironing board, premium cable, 2 telephones and data ports, a $10 dinner voucher at Graham’s Restaurant, and complimentary high-speed internet access. Accessible rooms for people with disabilities are available.

 

The Kensington Court, in addition to the amenities and services listed above, features a full-service restaurant and lounge, room service, pillow-top mattresses, complimentary bottled water, exercise room, bell service, business center, mini-fridge, and sauna. Complimentary breakfast at Graham’s Restaurant and complimentary copies of the New York Times are also provided.

The Holiday Inn Express is more limited in amenities and services than the Kensington Court Hotel but does feature a complimentary deluxe continental breakfast served in the lobby as well as room service from the Kensington Court.

A limited number of rooms are available at each hotel for a flat rate of $78.00 for either a single or double at the Kensington Court or a flat rate of $68.00 for a single or double at the Holiday Inn Express.  Please note that this rate does not include applicable taxes and applies only to Parent and Family Orientation participants attending summer orientation programs starting between June 3-July 31. Rooms must be reserved no later than one week in advance of your planned arrival. Reservations made less than one week before your arrival date and extended stays are subject to availability. The Office of New Student Programs is not responsible for making hotel reservations.

You can make reservations at either the Kensington Court or Holiday Inn Express by phone at 800/344-7829.

 

Reservations for the Kensington Court can also be made online at https://booking.ihotelier.com/istay/istay.jsp?groupID=998812&hotelID=4505

using the group booking code ONP2013.

 

Reservations for the Holiday Inn Express can be made online at http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/ann-arbor/arbmi/hoteldetail?groupCode=pso

 

Free shuttle services will be provided for all parents and family members (attending the summer orientation program between June 3-July 31) at scheduled times to and from the hotels to campus. The hotel will provide schedule information for this shuttle.

Please note: The discounted rates and shuttle services apply only to families of students participating in the summer orientation program. If your student is attending International Orientation (August 23-27) or Fall Orientation (August 27-29), there are no discounted rooms available.

 

Traveling to Ann Arbor

 

Traveling to Orientation by Car and Parking

Student Drop-Off Only
If you are driving to orientation with your student, please allow yourself enough time to drop your student off at Markley Hall before traveling across campus to the Michigan Union for the Parent & Family Orientation program. The Parent & Family Orientation and the Student Orientation Programs have different itineraries, and the programs are located in different buildings. The orientation schedules are very busy, and there is a good chance that you may not see each other again during the day. In addition, communication via cell phone may not be possible.

Markley Hall is located at 1503 Washington Heights. Due to its proximity to the UM Hospital, Washington Heights is a heavily-traveled, one-way (west to east) street, and no public parking will be available during student orientation drop-off. Because of this, parents will be allowed to drop off their student(s) outside of Markley between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM but will not be able to park. Similar to the departure area in front of an airport, this is a DROP OFF area only.  PARKING will NOT be allowed at any time, and drivers are expected to remain near their vehicles during the drop-off process. Drop-off and unloading time is limited to 5 minutes. Please plan in advance for a swift drop-off. There will be student staff and security officers on site to assist you. Families that are attending the Parent & Family Orientation program will then drive from Markley Hall across campus to the Maynard Street Parking Structure (see details below). Click here for driving directions to Markley Hall.

The Parent & Family Orientation program is 1 ½ days in length. The Student Orientation program is 3 days in length. If you are picking up your student at the end of his or her orientation program, you should arrange a time and place to meet on the third day of his or her program. Be sure to finalize plans for communication and transportation prior dropping your student off at Markley Hall. We recommend meeting in front of Markley hall; it will again be similar to a quick airport pick up area as mentioned above.

Most students finish registering for classes by noon on the third day of orientation. All students must check out of Markley Hall by 5:00 p.m. Those who have not checked out by this time will be charged a $50.00 late check-out fee. If you are flying, please allow time for transportation from Ann Arbor to the airport and to pass through airport security. Plan to schedule a return flight after 3:00 p.m. If your student will audition for Marching Band during orientation, auditions occur on the third day beginning at 2:30 p.m. If you are flying home with your student, don’t schedule your return flight before 7:00 p.m.

 

Parent & Family Orientation Parking

For those not staying at the Kensington Court or Holiday Inn Express, parking is available in the Maynard Street Parking Structure located at 324 Maynard Street. The rate is $1.20/hour (except during Art Fair). You will take a ticket upon entering the Maynard structure, and you will pay the parking attendant upon exiting the structure. Parking is free on Sundays. Please pay attention to the signs at the parking structure, as some spots are restricted. This structure is approximately 3 blocks from the Parent & Family Orientation check-in at the Michigan Union. Click here for a printable map.

Parking rules are enforced Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, there is no charge to park at street meters or in the Maynard Street Parking Structure.

Please note: If your student is driving separately from you, he/she will receive different parking instructions that allow for overnight parking near Markley Hall, where the Freshman Orientation program is located. These instructions are only for students who are parking overnight and do not apply to Parent & Family Orientation guests.

 

Driving from Markley to the Maynard Street Parking Structure:

  • Follow Washington Heights until it ends at E. Medical Center
    Drive.
  • Turn left on E. Medical Center Drive.
  • Turn left onto Observatory Street at the stoplight.
  • Turn right onto Geddes Avenue.
  • Stay on Geddes Avenue, straight through the intersection at
    Washtenaw Avenue. You will reach a 3-way stop sign.
  • At the stop sign, continue straight (road forks slightly to the
    right). The road becomes North University Avenue. Stay on North University Avenue until it ends at the stoplight at
    S. State Street.
  • Turn left onto S. State Street.
  • Turn right onto E. William Street at the first stop light.
  • Travel 1 block and turn right at the 4-way stop sign onto Maynard Street.
  • The entrance to the Maynard Street Parking Structure will be
    on your left side.

 

Art Fair (July 12-20)

Parking for orientation during the Ann Arbor Art Fair will be very difficult.  We recommend you arrive by 7:00 AM to secure a parking space. 

 

Traveling to Orientation by Plane

Delta Airlines will provide a discount from any point of origin that Delta Airlines services in the United States and Canada to Detroit Metropolitan Airport for all new Michigan students and their families attending Summer Orientation. Travel will only be permitted between May 31, 2013 & August 5, 2013. Summer Orientation Program discounts are based on availability and may range from 5% to 10%. Some restrictions apply. For further details and reservations, call Delta at 800-328-1111 daily between 8:30 am and 8:30 pm EST. Please refer to the Group Ticket Designator NG87M and the Michigan Orientation Delta File Number NMFKS when making your reservations.

The University of Michigan is not responsible for delays, cancelled flights, damaged or lost belongings, personal injury or loss of life due to any incident involving Delta Airlines. As part of this arrangement, and to help offset orientation program costs, the University receives promotional tickets that are used solely for normal University business travel.

If you purchase your tickets from a travel agent using this discount program, you or your agent must make the reservations through Delta Airlines. The Office of New Student Programs provides this arrangement with Delta Airlines as a convenience for new students.

 

Using a Bidding System for Airline Tickets

ONSP strongly recommends that you do not use airline ticket services that do not allow you to pick specific arrival and departure times. If you cannot choose specific travel times, you may end up with an itinerary that causes you to miss a portion of the orientation program. You are required to attend the full orientation program, and we may require that you attend another program if you cannot do so. Do not purchase a ticket where the company determines flight times. We will not make any special accommodations, and ONSP will not be responsible for costs associated with attending another orientation program and/or booking another flight.

 

Getting to Ann Arbor from Detroit Metropolitan Airport

There are many shuttle services and cab companies that provide door-to-door service from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to Markley Hall in Ann Arbor. A list of these services will be available online at the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

If you are staying in the Kensington Court or Holiday Inn Express hotels, the low-cost AirRide shuttles drop off at the Kensington Court parking lot.

 

Other Means of Travel

Ann Arbor is accessible by both Amtrak train service and Greyhound bus. To inquire about train schedules or make reservations, you can call 800-USA-RAIL (800-872-7245) or you can book online at www.amtrak.com. The telephone number for Greyhound is 800-231-2222 or you can book online at www.greyhound.com. For directions from the train station or bus depot to Markley Hall, please contact our office.

NOTE:  Most students finish registering for classes by noon on the third day of orientation.  If you plan to fly home with your student, we recommend you do not make return flight/travel arrangements prior to 3:00 pm due to traffic and/or airport security check-in.  If your student is auditioning for Marching Band, do not make return flight/travel arrangements prior to 7:00 pm as the ending time varies.

 

 

 

Fall Orientation: August 27-29

If your student is unable to attend a summer orientation session between June 3-July 31, he or she will be assigned to attend Fall Orientation on August 27-29. There is a corresponding 1-day Fall Parent & Family Orientation on Tuesday, August 27. Please note that this is not an identical program to the Parent & Family Orientation programs offered during summer orientation. Families of students who are attending Fall Orientation will receive a mailing in early August with details about this Fall Parent & Family Orientation program.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How can I communicate with my student during Orientation?
Students have an extremely busy orientation schedule. We recommend that families communicate with their students after orientation sessions are over in the evening (around 9:00 p.m.). The most common way to communicate at orientation is via cell phone or text messaging, but students will be prevented from using these devices while orientation sessions are in progresss. At the Summer Orientation front desk you will also be able to find your student's room phone number but our staff is not allowed to give out room numbers for security reasons.

Will we have any joint programs with the students?
There is a bit of program overlap on the morning of day two for the Academics at Michigan. Family members and students are encouraged to sit together should they both desire. We ask, however, that parents and family members do not accompany their students once the two programs split.

May we attend Parent & Family Orientation at a different time than our student's session?
Though most parents and family members attend Orientation at the same time as their students, we realize this is not always convenient, and parents and family members are welcome to attend Parent & Family Orientation at any time during the summer.  Please note, however, that families attending a Parent & Family orientation program that does not begin on the same day as their student's program may not be able to visit their student's academic School/College. In addition, if you choose to attend the Fall Parent & Family Orientation program on August 27, this program is not identical to the Parent & Family Orientation programs offered during summer orientation.

Is there housing provided during the Parent & Family Orientation program?
We cannot provide housing for parents and family members during orientation. Nearby parents and family members may commute during the program, and out of town families are responsible for their own accommodations. The Office of New Student Programs does have a block of rooms reserved for Parent & Family Orientation participants for a reduced fee at local hotels during the summer orientation program only. See above for details about accommodations.

Where may we park during the Orientation program?
The City of Ann Arbor has numerous meters and parking structures for use. We strongly recommend using the parking structure located at 324 Maynard St. between Liberty and William Streets. Parking in this structure allows you to park all day without feeding parking meters all day long. You will take a ticket when you enter the structure and pay the total fee when you leave. Rates are $1.20/hour (subject to change). The Office of New Student Programs is not responsible for any parking tickets acquired in Ann Arbor during Parent & Family Orientation.

What if I never received/threw out my registration materials for Parent & Family Orientation?
Call the Office of New Student Programs (734-764-6413) to receive new materials or to register by phone.

May we eat in a residence hall during the program?
A catered breakfast and lunch on Day 1 are provided for you at one of the University's unions. Dinner on Day 1 and all meals on Day 2 are your own responsibility. If you would like to eat in the residence hall, you are welcome to purchase a guest meal card at the Markley Hall front desk.

How many families attend Parent & Family Orientation?
About 50% of freshmen have family members that attend Parent & Family Orientation. The majority of these families have never sent a student to college before or have never sent a student to Michigan before.

Your question not listed here?
E-mail onsp@umich.edu.