View All Pages

Office of Family Engagement

Office of Family Engagement

UMD_SA_OFE_fl-1.png

In the following slides and FAQ resources, representatives from the Office of Parent and Family Affairs share how parents and family members can support Terps through their transition to UMD while also sharing what to expect in your own transition as a Terp family member. 

 

View the Office of Family Engagement Slides Here Download View the Office of Family Engagement Slides Here

Office of Family Engagement FAQs

 

What is the Office of Family Engagement?

The Office of Family Engagement serves as the single point of contact at the university for parents and other supportive family members of our undergraduate students. We are dedicated to providing resources, services, and programs for parents and family members to promote student success. We strive to educate, involve, and advocate for our families to enhance and strengthen the experience of students as well as their families.

 

We achieve these goals by providing our Terp Family eConnection portal Links to an external site., Terp Family Fundamentals webinar series Links to an external site., Terrapin Guide Handbook Links to an external site., Family Weekend Links to an external site., Summer Send-Offs Links to an external site., scholarship opportunities Links to an external site., collaborating with our Terp Family Council Links to an external site. and Terp Family Intercultural Collaborative Links to an external site., and much more.

 

How will Office of Family Engagement communicate with parents and family members?

The Terp Family eConnection Links to an external site. is our communications portal, used to enhance your Terp Family experience and customize the information you receive. This is the university's primary method of communication with family members. Parent and family member emails are automatically imported as their undergraduate student enrolls at the university. Once that happens, you will receive a welcome email with instructions on how to complete the registration process.

 

No welcome email? Or don’t want to wait? No worries! To create an account and set-up your profile, visit: http://terpfamily.campusesp.com Links to an external site.

 

What communication might come from UMD?

Most of the important or urgent email communications that are sent to the university community will be shared via the Terp Family eConnection portal Links to an external site.. The Terp Family eConnection will also provide:

  • Access to important news, updates, and deadlines;
  • Personalized newsletters specific to you and your student;
  • Announcements via email.

 

The University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) will send notifications through the UMD Alert System Links to an external site. about major campus emergencies in which the public safety of the campus community may be at risk. All UMD students will be automatically registered to receive such alerts to their university email account. Each account allows one phone number to receive UMD Alert SMS (text) messages and two email addresses to receive the alerts. It’s recommended your student have their cell phone number and university email listed on their UMD Alerts account. If you wish to also receive these alerts, ask your student to list your email address as the second email on their UMD Alerts account. To access UMD Alerts and Safety Notices online, visit umpd.umd.edu Links to an external site..

 

How can I notify UMD if I have a concern about my student?

Emergency Response (available 24/7) 

 

Non-emergency Response

 

For a full list of resources and contact information, please visit our

Quick Reference Guide Links to an external site..

 

What is FERPA and how can I gain access to my student's education and financial records?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Links to an external site. (FERPA) of 1974 (commonly referred to as the "Buckley Amendment") is designed to protect the confidentiality of education records and to give students access to their records to assure the accuracy of their contents. The Act affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. 

 

A college student's rights begin when the student registers for classes. The privacy protection FERPA gives to students is very broad. With limited exceptions, FERPA regulations give privacy protection to all student education records, regardless of the student’s age (so if they are under age 18, their record is still legally protected). Examples of student records entitled to protection under FERPA include grade reports, transcripts, and most disciplinary files. This protected information cannot be released to any third party, including parents or guardians, without signed and dated written consent from the student. 

 

We encourage students and families to agree upon methods of communication before classes begin. Coming to an agreement and establishing expectations for communication fosters trust and mutual responsibility. One convenient approach is to ask your student to grant parent/guardian access so that you can view your student's grades, class schedules, and unofficial transcripts using the University's Testudo Links to an external site. Web site. Visit http://www.registrar.umd.edu/parents/How%20To.html Links to an external site. for more information about parent/guardian access to student education records.

 

For information about how to access student financial records, such as viewing account balance information and paying a tuition bill, visit Student Financial Services and Cashiering Links to an external site.. Please note, access to Testudo for your student’s education records (grades and class schedules) does not enable your access to QuickPAY, where you can view account balance information or pay a tuition bill. To receive statements and pay any bills, your student will need to add your information as an “Authorized Payer” with Student Financial Services and Cashiering (see link above).

 

 (Links to an external site.)

 

Home Button