Thank you to all Hofstra parents who completed the Hofstra Parent Survey 2011. We had a record number of participants: 855 parents. Please be sure to complete our next Hofstra Parent Survey in May 2013. Below is a brief summary on how we used your survey input to better our programs and services.

WHAT WE DO WITH YOUR SURVEY RESPONSES

We take your input seriously. That is why we spend time and effort to assess what you think is important. Here are only some of our actions based on your input:

In our last parent survey in 2011, when we asked Hofstra parents about their satisfaction with the communications from the Office of Parent and Family Programs, 79% of surveyed parents were satisfied or very satisfied. 84% considered our Family Link e-newsletter as an important or very important source of information, while only 53% of Hofstra parents had the same opinion about our printed Family Connection newsletter. Therefore, we transferred Family Connection into a blog format. In addition, 70% of respondents told us that our Hofstra parent site, hofstra.edu/parents is a very important or important source of information. In 2011/12, we asked our Parent Council members to advise us as we updated and restructured the parent site to be more user friendly.

When we asked how often you communicate with your student, 81% of parents who responded to the survey said that they were in touch with their student 2-3 times or more a week. In addition, in 2009, only 10% of parents used Facebook to communicate with their students; in 2011, 20% of surveyed parents reported communicating on Facebook. Clearly, the way we communicate has changed. You are telling us that you need information in many formats, but increasingly you prefer getting it electronically. That is why we provide you with Hofstra Parents Facebook page, where we post updates, photographs, and give you opportunity to connect with other parents. Since its start in the spring of 2011, Hofstra Parents Facebook page has seen its membership grow many-fold. You may also follow our @HofstraParents Twitter feed.

Most of the surveyed Hofstra parents (56%) visit our campus once or twice a semester, while 20% of you say that you are visiting even more frequently (once per month or more frequently). We program at least one event for families per semester: the family weekend in the fall, the siblings day in the spring, and parent orientation and welcome day during the summer. In addition, we keep you updated on the myriad of events sponsored by academic, development and athletics departments throughout the year via Family Link e-newsletter, Family Connection blog or Hofstra Parents Facebook page, so you’ll have many options when you come to visit throughout the year.

Of special significance to our Office of Parent and Family Programs is the parents’ sense of inclusion in our campus community. When we asked you to let us know whether or not you agreed with the statement “Hofstra University includes parents and families in the college community,” 78% of you agreed or strongly agreed in 2011. Even though this is a 12% increase from 2008 (and we are proud of it!), we’d like more of you to feel connected to your Hofstra campus family, especially in view that 88% of you said that you agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “My student made a good choice in attending Hofstra.”

We will continue striving to better serve parents of Hofstra undergraduate students. Your input and suggestions are always welcome. You are also welcome to contact us for more information about our Parent Survey or to subscribe to Family Link e-newsletter. Email us at parents@hofstra.edu.

Hofstra Parents, Hofstra Pride!

Branka Kristic, Director of Parent and Family Programs