Parents Handbook

All parents are members of the Princeton Parents Association and are invited to become involved in the life of the University by participating in campus and regional programs.

Regional Princeton associations include parents and alumni working together to host annual receptions for incoming freshmen and their parents and to encourage other parents to attend local association meetings, especially when University representatives make presentations. The associations send parents mailings and recruit them as members.

The University welcomes the participation of Princeton parents in a range of programs offered through the Alumni Association. Led by faculty members, these opportunities enable parents and alumni to take advantage of the educational resources of Princeton while forging friendships within the University community. Princeton Journeys features travel to diverse destinations in the company of Princeton study leaders carefully selected for their area expertise, providing participants with a truly unique and intimate learning experience. The Alumni Studies program is a home-study program that permits exploration of a particular topic or theme under the guidance of Princeton faculty. Popular on-campus lecture series, such as the Fall Football Lectures and the Maclean House Lectures, attract hundreds of participants each year, and are often videotaped and made available online for the enjoyment of parents, friends and alumni who live at a distance from campus.

For information about upcoming programs, sign up for the Alumni Education Newsletter, which is distributed monthly by e-mail, by contacting the alumni education office, at AlumniEd@princeton.edu or (609) 258-0014. Or, sign up online.

Parents receive the Princeton Parents News newsletter periodically while their daughter or son is at Princeton. Each issue contains news, photos and features of interest to parents.

The quality of a Princeton education depends on the generous gifts made each year to Annual Giving by all members of the Princeton family — alumni, parents and friends. The Parents Committee, whose members reach out to other families to ask for support, is a way for parents to become involved, meet other Princeton families and provide tangible, critical support for the University. Nearly 3,500 parents participated in the 2008-09 annual campaign, which raised more than $2 million for undergraduate education. To learn more about the Parents Fund, please contact the director, Betsy Grimes, at (609) 258-2344 or egrimes@princeton.edu.

Orientation Week begins Saturday, September 12, 2009. For most freshman parents, bringing a new Princetonian to campus is their first activity at Princeton. All family members are welcome to have lunch at the residential colleges and are invited to receptions in the colleges in the afternoon.

Special Preorientation Programs. Freshmen participating in Community Action and Outdoor Action arrive on campus Saturday, September 5; the residential colleges host receptions for parents that afternoon.

Freshman Parents Weekend is Friday through Sunday, October 16 to 18, 2009. Parents are invited to meet President Shirley M. Tilghman and attend faculty lectures; discussions on academic, residential and campus life; and extracurricular activities. They may also tour campus facilities and attend cultural and sporting events.

Parents are also encouraged to join other members of the Princeton family at Alumni Day/Parents Program on Saturday, February 20, 2010. Parents, alumni and friends are invited to participate in lectures, panel discussions and various other activities. Alumni Day offers an easy, stimulating entry into the life of the University in session.

Parents of graduating seniors are welcome to attend Reunions, Thursday through Saturday of Commencement weekend, for an additional fee. Information will be given out at senior checkout in the spring.

Commencement. Parents and families of graduating seniors are, of course, invited to various Commencement events, including the Baccalaureate Service (May 30, 2010), Class Day (Monday, May 31, 2010), the Senior Prom (Monday, May 31, 2010) and Commencement itself (Tuesday, June 1, 2010).

Parents are invited to join any “Friends” groups on campus — such as the Friends of the Art Museum or the Friends of Tennis. We invite you to become an active member of the Princeton family.