Parent & Family Calendar
WELCOME TO THE
FAMILY
Greetings from Gonzaga’s New Student & Family Programs!
We are excited that you are part of the Gonzaga Family and we look forward to sharing in your student’s college experience at GU! We’re here to assist you and your student during this important transition in your lives. It will surely be a time of great discovery and growth.
New Student & Family Programs is here, especially for you. Studies show that parent and family involvement improves and enhances the college experience for students, and our office is committed to providing the guidance and support you need to help your student be successful.
We understand the integral role parents and families play in making this new phase of your student’s educational journey a positive one and we have created several resources to keep you involved and informed. The Parent and Family eNewsletter, Family Essentials, and our website at gonzaga.edu/parents are all full of helpful tips and information.
Our intent is to make the Gonzaga campus a “home away from home” for all Zags by offering you a full range of information and resources that will enable you to best support and empower your student. We are available to answer your questions, big or small. If we don’t have an answer, we will certainly find one for you! Please feel free to call or email our office any time, or stop by if you’re in Spokane.
We sincerely hope that this journey, for you and your student, will be fulfilling and successful. Welcome to our Gonzaga Family!
GO ZAGS!
Nicola Mannetter Director, New Student & Family Programs
Labor Day Holiday - no classes †
Last day to add a class
Last day to drop a class †
Take comfort in the foundation you have provided for your student.
This foundation will accompany your student across the miles and throughout the years.
classes
Day of Peace
Incompletes revert to pr ovisional grades
Discuss academic goals and expectations ahead of time.
Many first year students do not do as well academically in their first semester as they did in high school, and many reconsider their proposed course of study. Ask your student what they hope to accomplish during their first year and help them take ownership of their education. Remember, though, grades are not the only indication of learning.
Daylight Savings Time ends
Send care packages!
Giving Tuesday
Thanksgiving Holiday (Nov. 22-24)
International Day of Tolerance
Last day to withdraw from a course
Veterans Day
Early in the year, sharing popcorn or chocolate chip cookies is a wonderful way for a student to meet their floor mates. Photographs are personal reminders of home. Holiday decorations, baskets of treats at exam time, and even everyday necessities like shampoo and school supplies are reminders that say, “I’m thinking of you.”
Thanksgiving Day
† St. Edmund Campion
† First Sunday of Advent
† St. Nicholas
† Hanukkah begins
† Immaculate Conception o f the Blessed Virgin Mary
† St. Francis Xavier † St. Juan Diego
Reading/Study days (D ec. 9-11)
4 5 6 7 8 9
† Second Sunday of Advent
† Our Lady of Guadalupe
Last week of the semester (D ec. 12-15)
† Hanukkah ends
† Third Sunday of Advent
Christmas break begins
† Fourth Sunday of Advent
† Christmas Eve New Year’s Eve
† Christmas Day † Kwanzaa begins
Don’t over schedule.
Tell your student ahead of time about family plans, especially over the holidays, so that they can make plans accordingly.
NOVEMBER 2023
2024
Residence Halls open Martin Luther King, Jr. Day –
classes Classes begin
Encourage your student to visit their professors.
Every professor sets aside three or four hours per week for office hours. This time is meant for one-on-one conferences to help students with papers, test prep, and answer other questions. Encourage your student to take advantage of this opportunity as often as possible.
Presidents’ Day – no classes
Coach your student to solve problems, rather than solving them yourself.
Your student may call for help or reassurance when things aren’t going well. Encourage your student to utilize campus resources - visit Health & Counseling Services; talk to an advisor or dean; seek help from a tutor. Be an informed coach for your Zag by referencing your Parent & Family Essentials publication.
Incompletes revert to pr ovisional grades † St. Valentine’s Day
Daylight Saving Time begins
Spring break (M ar. 11-15)
Mid-semester grades due in R
egistrar’s Office
† St. Patrick’s Day
† Palm Sunday
24
† Easter Sunday
Acknowledge that college today is different.
Although century-old buildings look untouched by time, college life today is very different from the campus scene 25 or 30 years ago. Think twice before beginning a sentence with, “When I was your age...”
† Holy Thursday
† Good Friday Holiday -no classes
†
urim
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
† Easter Monday -no classes
Last day to withdraw from a course Tax Day
† P assover begins (Apr. 22-30)
† Ramadan ends
Talk to your student about how, and how often, you’ll keep in touch.
†
ends
Do you want a planned time to talk or are you more spontaneous? A cell phone can be a wonderful way to connect, or it can be, as one student described, an “electronic leash.” Encourage your student to use it with discretion. Email and social media are also great ways to stay connected. Just don’t count on a reply to every message!
Reading/study days (M ay 4-6)
† Yom Hashoah (May 5-6)
Undergraduate Commencement Mother’s Day
13-14)
Last week of the se mester (May 7-10)
† Ascension
First summer session begins
† Commencement Mass Graduate School Commencement Memorial Day
Renegotiate expectations.
When your Zag visits home, remember they’ve been making decisions on how to spend their time. You, however, may have strong feelings when they come home late at night, sleep in, or arrive late for dinner. Most students respond well if you treat them with respect. Start the conversation by being flexible and seeking common ground and solutions that will work for both of you.
JUNE 2024 APRIL 2024
Understand that college years are a time for exploration.
Your student might come home with a new identity - someone else’s clothes; new politics, philosophies, or eating habits; or even a new major and career goals. Most of these changes are temporary. Take a step back, have a sense of humor, and pick your battles. They need you to stick with them, have patience, and support them as they chart the course of their own lives.
Second summer session begins
Canada Day
Ask questions - but not too many.
First year students can resent interference with their new-found lifestyles. Still, most desire the security of knowing that someone is interested. Parental curiosity might seem obnoxious, or it could offer relief and support depending on the attitudes of the people involved. Avoid questions tinged with ulterior motives in favor of honest inquiries and discussion.
Independence Day
Residence halls open President’s Reception and Welcome Mass
Be an anchor.
Academic Convocation Classes begin
Students often want their families to accept all the changes they are making, yet want everything at home to stay the same. It’s important to keep them updated about changes at home, whether it’s moving younger siblings into their room, an illness in the family, or death of a pet.
Second summer session ends
New Student and Family Programs
502 E. Boone Avenue – MSC 2464
Spokane, WA 99258-2464
(509) 313-5399
gonzaga.edu/nsfp
Photos by Zack Berlat (’11) and Chiana McInelly (’23)