Find Answers to Your Questions

Campus Ministry strives to support the many different faith traditions represented here in our campus community. We are here to assist all students whether they want to find out about retreats and small journey groups to enhance their spiritual life, have a great idea for a faith and/or service club, need direction to organize a social justice event or just want to talk, we are here!

Your student is making very important decisions about their next destination, and your input can significantly impact your student's career development. Career Services is eager to help you and your student. 

Does your student want to get more involved? Our Center can help them tailor their time at UD to focus on their interests — and expand them through student life organizations and leadership opportunities.  

Learn about your student's rights regarding their education records in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA or Act).

In collaboration with other University departments, partners and communities, we offer innovative programs and services to enhance global and intercultural education, support student success, and promote diversity, equity and inclusion

Our goal is to foster a more welcoming campus community where all students who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) feel welcomed, respected, safe and valued as full members of the University of Dayton community.

We empower your student by removing barriers to access and providing the services they need to perform at their highest academic level. From accommodations to writing support, we have it covered every step of the way!

UD educates the whole person through experiences inside and outside of the classroom. Education abroad will help your student become a global citizen and engage in meaningful ways with people across all cultures.

Stay one step ahead by keeping this calendar handy.

As a Catholic, Marianist institution, we're committed to making a UD education affordable and accessible to all students. 

If you are a current parent, you have probably heard your student talking about AVIATE. AVIATE stands for A Vision for Integrated, Applied and Transformative Education. AVIATE is the integration of the department’s Residential Curriculum and the Housing Assignments Process for returning students. 

They did it! Your student's graduation is approaching. Want to make sure you know what's going on? You can find out about graduation by choosing the link below.

The University of Dayton has award-winning dining facilities and meal plans that have every student's needs covered.

This is definitely one of our favorite weekends of the year. It's a chance for you to explore campus the way your student experiences it, meet their friends and other Flyer parents, too!

The Department of Housing and Residence Life provides an intentional learning and living environment that is integral to the personal and social development of every University of Dayton student.

Find all the information you need to know about parking at UD — for your student or for you when you're here to visit!

The Department of Public Safety joins our community in prioritizing health, safety and security. Our department's 24-hour operations focus on maintaining and providing services to those needs.

College life is exciting and can be overwhelming. That's why we developed programs to help our newest Flyers make the most of their college experience and have a successful transition into the academic, social, and spiritual life of the UD community.

As your student sets up their home-away-from-home in their residence hall this fall, you may be wondering what they should definitely bring.

On the one hand, parents often feel fear and concern about their child beginning a new phase of life with greater responsibility and independence. On the other hand, it is also normal to look forward to the relative peace and quiet of having your older adolescent away from home and having the place to yourself, or being able to spend more time with your younger children.

No one is helped if you pretend not to feel sad, guilty, relieved, apprehensive or a whole host of other feelings, as your child prepares to start college. A healthier approach is to talk about how you are feeling — with your family, friends, clergy or whoever is a source of support for you.

Starting college represents the culmination of 18 years of parenting, much of it geared towards helping your child assume a productive place in the world. This is the time when your hard work will show itself in the ways your freshman begins to make independent choices. During this transition, many parents find that it helps to focus on the fact that you are providing your child with an invaluable opportunity to learn and grow into a self-sufficient person. Be proud of yourself!

Especially for parents whose last or only child has moved away to college, taking on a new challenge is an excellent way to manage and channel energy and emotions. Have you ever wanted to write a book? Learn to fly-fish? Make a quilt? Volunteer in your community? Assume a new project or responsibility at work? Travel? Get your own bicycle and ride all over town? Make a list of all the things you intended to do while your child was growing up but never had the time to do. Now is your chance!

It is normal for students to have mixed feelings about college approaching so quickly. Feeling excitement one day and anxiety (or even dread!) another day is quite normal. Even after you arrive on campus, you may need some support and guidance. Arranging regular calls, texts, or video chats with family or friends at home can help ease the transition, and know that it is also common for the frequency of contact to change over time.

It can take time to learn how to navigate living with greater independence. Be gentle on yourself as you learn how to motivate yourself, take personal responsibility for classes, and practice quality self-care. Here are a few tips:

• Establishing a regular routine is essential to limit stress. If you did not plan your schedule during high school, now is the time to try out a written planner, Google calendar, a scheduling app, or even a written to-do list!
• The general rule of thumb is that each hour you spend in class may require 2-3 hours of study time outside class.
• If you’re struggling, it is more effective to seek help (e.g., study groups, tutoring, meeting with your instructor or teaching assistant) earlier rather than later!
• The Office of Learning Resources has many supports designed to help students reach their academic goals.

If you find yourself struggling with homesickness, getting involved can help smooth your transition to campus life. Seek out informal opportunities (study groups, sharing meals with fellow students), participate in residence hall activities and embrace the discomfort of getting to know an entirely new group of people. The 1850 platform at UD offers many opportunities for involvement in organized campus events (such as a Campus Ministry retreat) or joining a student group. The Center for Student Involvement is also a great resource!

The University of Dayton offers many formal and informal support networks to help students cope with stress and any difficulties adjusting to college life. Feel free to seek support from:

• Resident Assistants, Area Coordinators, and other Residential Life staff
• Student Ministers and members of Campus Ministry
• Academic advisors, faculty, tutors and teaching assistants
• Staff at the Dean of Students Office (can help with a wide range of concerns, including basic needs)
• Office of Learning Resources (accommodations and other resources)
• Counseling Center staff

College is an exciting time full of opportunities and challenges. With the right support, every student can have a successful college career full of growth and learning!

Initial adjustment to the academic environment, homesickness and stress of long-distance relationships, financial adjustments and roommate conflicts.

First-year students begin to realize that life at college may not be as perfect as they initially believed. Old problems seem to continue, and new ones may be added. Midterm workload pressures are followed by feelings of failure or a sense of accomplishment. Problems with study skills, concern over fitting in and possible illnesses due to changes in weather can also occur.

Academic pressure may increase due to a range of factors: procrastination, difficulty of work or lack of needed study skills. Economic anxiety can be caused due to decreasing funds from parents and diminishing summer savings. Financial strain can be caused by Christmas gifts and travel costs. Anxiety increases as final examinations approach and papers are due.

A second wave of homesickness can occur. Depression can increase as students experience winter weather. Students may begin to have relationship anxieties as relationships from home change. Students sometimes begin thinking about changing majors or transferring schools.

Stress over midterm exams and plans for spring break starts. Students often experience limited finances. Papers and exams grow closer, and students may start worrying about summer jobs.

Worry over choosing a major, disenchantment with college life, academic pressure leading to increased changes in dietary habits such as excessive coffee consumption, sleep loss, and anxiety about saying goodbye to friends and seeking summer employment. Sometimes students are upset because they have not done as well academically as they would like.

Even though your child is experimenting with independent choices, he or she still needs to know that you're there and are available to talk over both normal events and difficult issues. Keep the texts and phone calls coming, even if your student is a little lax in returning them. It keeps them from feeling forgotten.

If he or she needs help or support, the subject is more likely to come up if you aren't inquiring pointedly about what time he or she came in last night!

Most students come to school with a fairly detailed plan about how tuition, fees, books and room and board will be paid for, and what the family's expectations are about spending money. Being specific at the outset may help avoid misunderstandings later.

Not every freshman who excelled academically in high school will be an all-A student at UD. Developing or refining the capacity to work independently and consistently and to demonstrate mastery can be more important than grades, as long as the student meets the basic academic requirements set out by the University. Again, these are choices that each individual student makes, though certainly it is appropriate to help your child set his or her own long-term goals.

If your child does experience difficulties at UD, encourage him or her to take advantage of the wealth of resources available for students. For academic issues, talking with the professor, teaching assistant or academic advisor is probably the first step. If your son or daughter could benefit from mental health counseling, the Counseling Center is located on campus and professional staff is available for them. You can help your child by reminding him or her of the many resources available on campus.

You might include food, small personal items, seasonal items or even just a note of encouragement. A bit of home in the mail makes the student feel closer to home.

It is a great way to meet new people and be aware that a large amount of learning takes place outside the classroom.

Your student is testing his/her independence.

College life requires adjustments for your student.

Relax. Enjoy them for who they are. This is the time for them to practice what you have spent 18 years teaching them.

At this time, we are seeing students through Drop-In Hours. Students can come in-person to the Counseling Center in Gosiger Hall to meet with a mental health professional, no appointment necessary. This may be a one-time session or a discussion about linking to ongoing services, depending on what your student requests or needs. Drop-In Hours vary by semester and can be found on the clinical services page.

Explain your concerns directly and gently. It helps if you can cite specific examples about why you are concerned. Indicate that you would like them to go to the Counseling Center for Drop-In Hours. You can ask them to try it out, and that there is very little risk in talking with someone.

It is, of course, the student's right not to go to the Counseling Center, in which case, you can respect their wishes but continue to express concern.

If your son/daughter lives in a residence hall, you can speak to the Resident Assistant (RA). RAs are not bound by the same strict confidentiality rules that mental and physical health providers must follow. Even if talking to an RA is not possible or does not produce the desired result, please continue to check in with your student's emotional well-being on a regular basis.

If you are concerned about your student's safety and worried that they are an immediate risk to themselves or others, you can reach out to Housing and Residence Life (937-229-3141) or to Public Safety (937-229-2121) to request a safety check.

Once a student is 18 years or older, the student has complete control of his/her medical records. Consequently, he/she need to give written permission to allow other people access to the information. If the student will not sign a release, it is illegal for the provider to discuss the case in any way.

If you would like access to your student's information, the best approach is for you to discuss your reasoning with your student so that they can decide whether to complete a release of information.

Legally, a release of information needs to be signed to allow us to confirm appointment attendance, even if we do not discuss appointment details.

You are free to leave information with the on-call therapist whenever you would like to do so. However, the therapist cannot share any information with you, including whether appointments have been scheduled or attended, without a release of information.

We can be reached during business hours (Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 p.m.) at 937-229-3141.

• Confidentiality is essential to the counseling relationship.
• Without your child's written consent we cannot confirm or deny that a student has come to the Counseling Center for a counseling session or disclose the name of their therapist.
• If you want to talk to your son's or daughter's therapist, you should talk to your child and ask them to sign a release of information form at the Counseling Center.
• You may also contact the Counselor-on-Call to share your concerns or to obtain general information.