Welcome to the Trent Community!

Your evolving role as a parent of a university student is very important. Coming to university is a huge change in your son's or daughter's life. It can be a very stressful time, but it can also be a time of incredible growth, learning, and excitement! Your student will be encountering and dealing with many new situations. It is our hope that you will allow your student to learn from these experiences.

Laura Storey

Manager, Housing Operations

 

Our Mission

As with any organization, Housing Services seeks to align all our work with our mission statement, which reads as follows:

Housing Services at Trent University will:

• Promote student growth and development through facilitating a challenging, supportive and positive community
• Develop an atmosphere of mutual respect and inclusiveness
• Provide outstanding service with a commitment to safety and security
• Focus on leadership development, student learning and the support of the academic success of our students.

Our Staff

In every residence hall on campus there will be a College Residence Life Coordinator (CRLC) and several Student Dons all working for and with your student.

For more information about specific roles of residence life staff, please see our Residence Services page.

How Can I Help?

It is hard to be a parent a long way from your student, especially when your student encounters problems! As a parent you can ask meaningful questions such as "what happened?" or "who have you spoken with about this?" if a problem should occur. Listen to your student and ask him or her to tell you more, or simply ask what he or she needs from you. Perhaps they just need to vent their frustration with someone they trust. You can offer a suggestion for a course of action and encourage them to either communicate their needs to the individual(s) causing the conflict or request an intervention with a mediator (like their Student Don).

As a parent, you can also suggest that your student spend time away from his or her room. When you're cooped up with one person all the time or even in your own small space, you tend to get bored and notice little things that annoy you a lot because you have to deal with them all the time. However, if your student gets out of the room and spends time with a variety of people, they may just find themselves not noticing those little annoyances at all anymore.

Remember, your student is growing and learning from their experiences here at Trent University. Part of going away to university is helping to define what kind of person your student will be as they become an adult. With this may come some changes in types of music, styles of clothes, and how they might decorate their room.

When you come to visit, don't be surprised if their room isn't as neat as you would expect it to be. Encourage them to develop their individuality without judging them. The important thing is that they are happy with their living space. Don't forget that your student will have experienced new and exciting things, and they will be very happy to see you and tell you of all their adventures!

Who Can I Talk to in Housing Services?

Many parent and student questions can be answered by going to the Frequently Asked Questions page of this site. If you can't find the question and answer you are seeking, contact Housing Services and we will respond to your question.

If you cannot find the answer to your question on this web site we encourage you to help your son or daughter learn to solve his/her problem on his/her own. While it is natural to want to try and solve our children's problems for them, it is not always the best way for them to learn. Support your child when they are dealing with a problem but encourage them to take the necessary steps to try and handle it themselves through the proper channels.

If you decide that you would like to call Housing Services and are unsure of who can help you, please call our main office and you will be directed to whoever can serve your needs best. If you know that the College Residence Life Coordinator is the person you need to speak to please call him or her directly. However, it is important that you please do not call the section's Student Don or the Student Don On Call pager. This is an undergraduate student who has basic training in helping students. If you are concerned enough about your student to call us, we want to make sure you get professional follow-up.

What can Housing Services do?
We will listen to your concerns and work to create a plan for addressing the concern. There are many options available for these situations including a conversation and mediation.

What Information Will I Have Access To?

As of June 10, 2006 Ontario universities have come under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

Under these laws we are unable to release any information regarding your son or daughter, including but not limited to confirmation or denial of enrolment at Trent, confirmation or denial of application to register for residence, options chosen on a residence application, residence assignment, and disciplinary actions. Please be aware that these laws apply to the records of all students, past and present, regardless of their age.

We ask that parents respect that all employees in Housing Services will be unable to provide student information under penalty of law. Please maintain an open line of communication between yourself and your student during the months leading up to move in, as well as during the academic year. The time prior to move in is a perfect opportunity to begin the transfer of responsibility to students, as parents are still present to assist and follow up with students, while students can practice being responsible for sending and receiving necessary information.

For further information regarding FIPPA please visit:

www.accessandprivacy.gov.on.ca
www.ipc.on.ca