Dear Carolina Families,
Whenever we visit Chapel Hill, we know we are in a remarkable place. And when we see our daughters and spend time with their Carolina friends, we know this university is working hard every day to achieve a community where all Carolina students can learn, experience, question, grow, and ultimately succeed. That is the Carolina Way.
The Office of New Student & Carolina Parent Programs is the most important resource for parents on campus. Through this office, we encourage you to become actively involved in the Carolina Parents Association – an association every undergraduate’s family is a member of without fee.
This year, we are honored to serve as national chairs of the Carolina Parents Council. The Council serves as the volunteer leadership group for the Association. Working with the Office of New Student & Carolina Parent Programs and other university offices, we plan admitted student receptions, summer send-offs, and parents clubs’ events. We volunteer for Orientation, move-in weekend, and Family Weekend.
In addition, the Council identifies and addresses issues, in partnership with the university, which the Council deems crucial to student success, such as student safety and wellness, the advising system, and student retention programs. Using its annual dues, the Council awards grants to support programs, both staff and student initiated, that enhance our students’ experiences at Carolina such as FallFest, SafeWalk, Carolina Firsts, HAVEN, and One Act. But most importantly, we are advocates of this great university and hope to see the Council become more formally engaged in advocacy during the coming year. We see this as a natural and potentially defining initiative of the Council.
We think parents offer a unique and important perspective, and we invite you to become involved not only in your student’s life but also in the life of the university. Please feel free to contact us with your thoughts and suggestions at ZellnerFam@gmail.com.
Welcome to the Carolina Family!
Liz and Jesse Zellner
