Interview: George Ballinger, Director of Parent Relations, CU Boulder

Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 15:46

University Parent Media had the pleasure of interviewing George (Barney) Ballinger, Director of the widely successful Parent Relations Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). After serving more than 27 years in the United States Air Force, Ballinger joined the Office of Parent Relations at the University of Colorado. He brings valuable perspective to the program as the father of two children, one a graduate of the University of Colorado and the other a graduate of the University of Nebraska.

What makes the CU Parent Program successful?

"The University recognizes the importance of families and parents," says Ballinger. The Parent Relations Office is housed in Student Affairs and reports directly to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. This structure provides strong administrative support to the office and its efforts. On a financial level, the program is supported by the Parent Fund (a part of the larger CU Foundation), and receives additional general funding from the State of Colorado.

Another factor to which Ballinger attributes the success of CU’s program is its dual focus. First, the office devotes resources to cultivating a strong and active CU Parent Association (CUPA). CUPA is run by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of 45 parents/couples from in-state, in addition to several out-of-state parent representatives. The Parent Relations Office also focuses on disseminating information to the parents and families of students through a quarterly Parent Newsletter, bi-weekly email updates, Orientation activities, Family Weekend, “Summer Send Offs” (gatherings held around the country for incoming freshman and their parents), and semi-annual visits to CU parent groups around the country.

Finally, the CU Parent Program has a full-time Director, George (Barney) Ballinger, as well as an Assistant Director, Joyce Kinde (who splits her time between the Parent Relations Office and another university department). Having adequate staffing enables the office to focus both on envisioning the “big picture” of parent outreach and support, as well as addressing the day-to-day concerns of parents.

What direct benefits do universities receive from catering to parents?

Ballinger considers enhanced student success the primary benefit of parent outreach and support. “You can’t lose sight of the unique support that parents provide to students, and the fact that they can be key partners in helping their students achieve success. If you provide good guidance and some steering, parents become tremendous partners in this experience.” He recognizes that parents have a unique avenue into the lives of students, and are often the first people that students contact when in need of mentoring and advice. “If this relationship is understood, you can leverage the unique connection to promote the success of students.”

The cultivation of new partners for recruitment, university development, and advancement is another direct benefit of parent outreach. As Ballinger said, “There are no better ambassadors or recruiters for a university than satisfied parents and students.” Parents who have a relationship with the school and are pleased with their student’s experience are incredible champions for the institution.

How does the Office of Parent Relations keep parents involved throughout the course of a year?

For the CU Parent Relations Office, the school year starts off with a bang through Summer Orientation. This is the first opportunity to form a relationship with parents and introduce them to all the resources available to them through the Office of Parent Relations. “The idea behind our involvement in Orientation is to become known and recognized as a resource for parents from very the beginning of their time at CU.” The Office of Parent Relations staff helps facilitate Orientation sessions, striving to be highly visible as they help parents navigate their way through the event. The office also hosts a Parent Dinner during Orientation to welcome new parents.

In October, the Office of Parent Relations hosts a Family Weekend. More than 1,800 families (equating to 5,000 plus guests) register beforehand, and an additional 1,000-3,000 tend to show up at the door. Ballinger attributes this to the clear online resources available to parents regarding the event. In the fall, representatives from the Parent Relations Office also join the Admissions Department on its National Council Tour (a recruitment effort) during which time they host dinners around the country for the families of current students.

Throughout the year, the Office of Parent Relations implements various other strategies to keep parents involved, including encouraging parents to visit campus by offering discounted tickets to athletic events, or music and theater performances.

Finally, the Office of Parent Relations adjusts its outreach and programs to meet the needs of parents, which change as their student progresses from the beginning of his/her freshman year onto graduation. At the start of the school year, the focus is on disseminating information that addresses common parent concerns, which often revolve around adjustment to the new social and academic environment, roommate issues, etc. As the year progresses, the focus shifts to informing parents of opportunities that can enrich their student’s CU experience and prepare them for the future. Career services and study abroad programs are key areas of interest.

The CU Parent Program has a robust Parent Fund. What steps do you take between building relationships with parents, and encouraging them to make financial contributions to the university?

According to Ballinger, the keys to the CU Foundation’s robust Parent Fund are: maintaining consistent contact and communication with parents (through the various outreach events detailed in the previous section), building an active development committee (composed of parents) through the Parent Association’s Board of Directors, and funneling the majority of parent giving directly to student programs.

Working in conjunction with representatives of the CU Foundation, CUPA’s development committee is responsible for supporting and promoting the Parent Fund. The Office of Parent Relations staff, CU Foundation representatives, and CUPA committee members meet regularly to review and discuss strategy for development. An example of the strategies developed through the committee is parent-to-parent communication: parents from the Board of Directors call other parents to thank them for their donations and generosity. This strategy has strengthened relationships with parent donors and encourages future giving.

The CU Parent Association’s decision to devote the majority of parent donations directly to programs that enhance students’ experiences and opportunities at CU also contributes to the success of the Parent Fund. Equally as important is informing parents of how their donations are used. Therefore, the Office of Parent Relations’ quarterly Parent Newsletter includes highlights from the 30 different student programs supported by the Parent Fund. Some of these include:

CU Night Ride: Allows students to access free, safe late-night transportation.
The Special Opportunity Fund: A reserve of money to help students in emergency situations.
CUPA Scholarship Program: Yearly academic scholarships to 20 freshman and 30 sophomores through seniors.
The CU Proud Award: Recognizes students who make CU proud by virtue of exemplary acts of character, courage or compassion, on or off the CU campus, in Boulder or elsewhere in the world.
The Marinus Smith Award Faculty/Staff Recognition Award: Recognizes faculty and staff who have had a significant, positive impact on the lives of one or more CU-Boulder undergraduates.
CUPA Grants Program: Annually provides funding to assist in enhancing the college experience of undergraduates. These grants are available to departments within the Division of Student Affairs and student groups and help in such areas as safety, diversity, career services, community building, and civic engagement.

On behalf of University Parent Media, we would like to thank Barney Ballinger and the CU Office of Parent Relations for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us!