Parent/Family Information

“As our sons and daughters enter these college years, we have to come to terms with their strengths and their limitations. At the same time we realize that we too are at a water-shed, entering into a new phase of our lives . . . so as they struggle with a turmoil of conflicting emotions about leaving, we often are flooded with conflicting feeling of our own about being left.”
            ~ exerpt from Letting Go, by Karen Coburn and Madge Treeger

Who should attend
Cost of Parent/Family Orientation
What to bring
Overnight accommodations
Check in and parking

Parent/Family Orientation sessions run concurrently but separately from Freshman Orientation. Parents, relatives and other guests are encouraged to attend Orientation at the same time as their student, but should be aware that contact with your student is limited during Orientation sessions. Over half of our students attend Orientation with parents or family members.

Durng Orientation parents and family members have access to many university resources, faculty members and administrators. One of the best parts of the program is the opportunity to interact with current student leaders who provide a rich perspective on life at SHSU. Parents/family members are able to share questions and concerns with the Orientation staff and other parents in a comfortable and relaxed setting.

Here's what parents have said about Parent/Family Orientation:
"It is important for parents to be here. They will receive good information."
"The enthusiasm for the school and its resources came through loud and clear."
"As first time parents, we feel better prepared to send our child to college."

Who should attend?
Parents/family members are not required to attend Orientation; however, most do choose to attend. Parents who attend Orientation are better able to help their student due to the nature of the information presented.  Please note: all sessions are intended for adult parents/family members; child care is not provided.

Cost of Parent/family Orientation
The cost for Parent/Family Orientation is $50 per person. This fee covers all orientation materials, dinner Thursday, and breakfast Friday. This fee does not cover the cost of lodging as families will need to secure their own Thursday night accommodations.
The cost for Freshman Orientation is $115 per student. This fee covers lodging in Sam Houston Village residence hall, dinner Thursday, breakfast Friday, and all orientation materials.

What to bring
Parents/family members will need to bring the following to Orientation:

Overnight Accommodations
The fee for Parent/family Orientation does not include lodging; therefore participants may commute from home or choose to spend the night in a local hotel or bed and breakfast inn. The following list may serve as a starting point for you to make the appropriate reservations. All of these locations are ten minutes or less from the SHSU campus.

Sam Houston State University does not endorse any hotel, motel, agency or service. This information is provided as a service to SHSU students, their parents and guests.

The following hotels have special rates available for parents attending Orientation. Rates range from $60 to $90, based on availability. Please contact the hotel directly for the Sam Houston Orientation rate. Rooms must be booked at least seven (7) days in advance.

Check in and Parking
Check-in for Orientation is at Raven Village. You will check-in with your student and the Orientation staff to receive your  nametags, orientation folder, and other pertinent information. At this time students will also receive their room keys and have the opportunity to take their belongings to their rooms. Once you have checked-in, your student may have time to visit with an academic advisor at the SAM Center, register for classes, take his/her picture for their student ID card, and visit other campus offices.

If your student is taking the ACCUPLACER exam the morning of orientation, you should check in at Raven Village before reporting to the Testing Center in Academic Building 4.

Parking is available at Raven Village. Accessible parking is available throughout campus and the Orientation staff will be happy to provide you with a map of campus parking lots.