Laurie's Letter

Do you remember when you were in elementary school and the summer seemed endless? Well, it seems those days are over because I can hardly believe we are about to start another semester! It feels like just yesterday that we were congratulating our graduates and beginning the first of twelve orientation sessions. Although the summer has gone by fast, it has not been uneventful!

In July, the Dean of Students Office welcomed Kim Kloeppel to serve the University as the Interim Dean of Students. Kim (pictured here at New Student Orientation) also serves the Division of Student Affairs as the Fiscal and Planning Officer. Although she wears many hats, Kim has always been a strong supporter of Parent Relations. She truly understands the value of parents and families in the overall success of students. Kim has a very hands-on approach to her new job and brings with her some great ideas and energy. Please help me in welcoming Kim to her new post!

I would like to thank every parent who participated in our 2010 UNM Parent Survey! As promised, I would like to recognize our five lucky winners: Katie Buck of Camas, WA won a weekend stay for two at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown which includes breakfast for two; Bruce Holiday of Farmington, NM won $50 in Lobo Cash sponsored by the Parent Relations Office; Wanda Manning of Rome, GA and Charles Trujillo of Albuquerque, NM both won a UNM book bag and a travel clock sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs and Myra Branch of Los Alamos, NM won a Lobo Lucy Doll sponsored by the UNM Book Store. Congratulations to each of our winners! Later this fall, we will announce our survey results.

As we wind down the summer and gear up for fall, there are several events for your student to attend. The semester kicks off with Friday Night Live on August 20th. FNL is a great time for all students to reconnect with friends and have a blast before they hit the books! Students can learn to Salsa dance, play video games, or get a Henna tattoo. Free food will also be provided all night long! It‘s a fun-packed UNM tradition. I hope you will encourage your student to attend.

Freshman Family Day is on August 22, 2010 at 4pm. This event welcomes incoming students and their families to the University of New Mexico. A highlight of the program is the Class Crawl where current students help incoming students find their classes. The day is capped off with a drive-in style movie on Johnson Field at 8pm. For more info on Freshman Family Day follow this link http://ffd.unm.edu/.

The first day of classes begins on August 23rd and for many years the Student Activities Office has sponsored Welcome Back Days. This year is no exception! During the first week of school, your student can grab some free food and listen to live music while learning about the various student groups, academic departments, cultural events, wellness issues and campus employment. It's a great way for students to become acclimated to UNM or get re-connected. Please visit http://sac.unm.edu/ for more information.

I am excited to share two events for parents and families. Are you a parent and alum of UNM? If so, the Parent Relations Office and Alumni Association are hosting a Legacy Reception during Homecoming on October 1, 2010. This will be a fun night to re-connect to your university, enjoy some light refreshment and help us celebrate Homecoming!

Finally, in the last newsletter I announced the date for UNM's 3rd Annual Family Weekend! It will be held November 5 -6, 2010 and is sure to be a weekend filled with food, fun and Lobo family! I hope you will be able to join us. More information will be available in future newsletters and at our website. In the meantime, you may also contact Lisa Lindquist at 505-277-3361 or ldelgado@unm.edu.

Laurie Mellas is senior program manager for the UNM Parent Relations Office, a unit in the Dean of Students, Division of Student Affairs. She can be reached at 277-5915 or 277-3361 or via email at parent@unm.edu. Visit the parent Web site at http://parent.unm.edu/.