Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit

As family structures change, Syracuse University broadens support by introducing Family Weekend

Friday, June 15, 2007, By News Staff
Share

As family structures change, Syracuse University broadens support by introducing Family WeekendJune 15, 2007Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu

When parents and families of Syracuse University students converge on the SU campus this Nov. 9-11 for what is traditionally known as Parents Weekend, they will enjoy familiar activities such as a football game, academic dean’s breakfasts and time spent with their students. This year, however, the event will mark an evolutionary shift in focus, as Parents Weekend will now be known as Family Weekend. The special weekend, held on the SU campus for more than 50 years, gives parents and family members the opportunity to immerse themselves in their SU students’ campus experience.

“Syracuse University is one of many universities with a longstanding, proud tradition of service to traditional and non-traditional family constituencies alike, but even the most progressive institutions must be increasingly responsive to the fact that student and family populations are much more diverse than they have been in the past — and that students’ and families’ needs are evolving rapidly as a result,” says Barry L. Wells, senior vice president and dean of student affairs. “By renaming this weekend to include all family members, we are sending the message that this is a time for all parents and family members to engage with their students’ Syracuse University experience.”

Colleen O’Connor Bench, director of SU’s Parents Office and recipient of the Administrators Promoting Parent Involvement’s (APPI) 2007 Susan E. Brown Award as the nation’s leading higher-education family services administrator, says that universities can no longer assume that students come only from families with a mother and father as the primary support system.

“Not only do we recognize that grandparents, aunts and older siblings play a parenting role in some families, we must also consider that same-sex parents, guardians and other people in strong mentoring roles are represented right alongside traditional moms and dads as people who are critical to helping our students make the most of the Syracuse University experience,” says Bench. “For this reason, we selected a name change that underscores the historical importance of building inclusiveness into our beloved tradition.”

For more information on Family Weekend activities, visit the Parents Office website at http://parents.syr.edu.

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Scott Warren Promoted to Senior Associate Dean for Research Excellence at Libraries
    Wednesday, June 7, 2023, By Cristina Hatem
  • Syracuse University Professor Calls for Proper Treatment for Clergy Sex Abuse Victims
    Wednesday, June 7, 2023, By Keith Kobland
  • Vice Chancellor Haynie and IVMF Advisory Board Members Recognized as Nation’s Finest 50
    Wednesday, June 7, 2023, By Stephanie Salanger
  • ‘There’s No Safe Place from Wildfire Smoke’ says Maxwell Environment Professor
    Wednesday, June 7, 2023, By Daryl Lovell
  • Sean O’Keefe G’78 Joins Government Hall of Fame
    Tuesday, June 6, 2023, By Jessica Youngman

More In Uncategorized

Syracuse Views Spring 2023

We want to know how you experience Syracuse University. Take a photo and share it with us. We select photos from a variety of sources. Submit photos of your University experience using #SyracuseU on social media, fill out a submission…

Awards of Excellence Honoree: Maxwell has Been ‘a Guiding Hand’ in Public Service Career

Standing before an audience of fellow Maxwell School alumni gathered in Washington, D.C., for the second annual Maxwell Awards of Excellence, CNN anchor Boris Sanchez ’09 shared the motivation behind his work as a journalist. Sanchez emigrated from Cuba as…

NASA Honoring Those Who Were Aboard Space Shuttle Columbia And Other Late Astronauts

Sean O’Keefe, University Professor in the Maxwell School, was interviewed for the USA Today article “Twenty years later, loss of space shuttle Columbia still teaches us lessons.” The article emphasizes how NASA’s Memorial Grove is used to honor late astronauts,…

NFL, Eagles and Chiefs All Set To Win The Economics Game In Super Bowl LVII

Rodney Paul, director and professor of sport analytics in the Falk School, was quoted in the Washington Examiner story “The economics of the Super Bowl: Hosting, gambling, ads, and more.” The article talks in-depth about all of the economics that…

CEOs Requiring In Person Work Is Hurting Diversity

Arlene Kanter, director of the Disability and Policy Program and professor in the College of Law, was interviewed for the Business Insider article “Some CEOs are pushing workers to return to the office, but it could come with a cost:…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2023 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.