At UIS, we believe parents and families play a vital role in a student’s success—from their first year through graduation. This page is here to provide you with helpful information and resources to support your student every step of the way!
Family Weekend
Mark your calendars for October 17–19, 2025, and join us for our annual Family Weekend—a celebration filled with fun activities, campus events, and special moments with your student.More details are available on the Prairie Stars Family Weekend website!
Prairie Star Family Connect
Stay informed and connected with Prairie Star Family Connect—our communication hub just for UIS parents and families. This customizable platform provides timely updates, important deadlines, and personalized newsletters tailored to you. You can choose how often you receive updates (weekly, monthly, etc.) and select topics like wellness, athletics, or support for first-year students. Signing up is quick and easy—just visit the registration page.
Student Involvement
Your student has countless opportunities to get involved, build meaningful connections, and create lifelong friendships—all while developing skills that support their success. From student organizations and Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) to intramural sports and campus events, there’s something for everyone to explore and enjoy!
Dean of Students Office
Campus Safety
The safety and well-being of our community is a top priority. The campus is protected 24/7 by a fully trained police department that works closely with local and state law enforcement agencies. Students have access to helpful safety tools like the RaveGuardian app, which provides quick connections to emergency services and safety resources. Learn more about campus safety and resources!
Resources for Parents and Family of College Students
Articles
A Telling Experiment Reveals a Big Problem Among College Students: They Don’t Know How to Study
Succeeding in College with ADHD
Money 101 for College Students: From Student Loans to How to Budget
12 Things We Wish We’d Known When We Were 18
31 Money Saving Tricks for Students
How to Help Your New College Student Avoid Money Minefields
How to Keep Your College Kid Out of Money Trouble
Five Reasons Why Helicopter Parents are Sabotaging their Child’s Career. Written by a Career Coach another perspective to examine over-parenting.
Helicopter parenting has caused my psychotherapy clients to crash land.
Kids of Helicopter Parents Are Sputtering Out
Teen Spirit: Helicopter parenting has crippled American teenagers. Here’s how to fix it.
How helicopter parents are ruining college students. I’m not crazy about the title of this article, but the content on the need for students to learn coping skills – especially dealing with frustration and failure is something we help lots of students with on a daily basis.
Transition to College: Separation and Change for Parents and Students (pdf) by Jess P. Shatkin, MD, MPH. Going to college is more than just “going back to school.” The departure is a significant milestone in the life of a family and ushers in a time of separation and transition, requiring an adjustment on the part of parents, the college-bound teenager and the whole family.
‘Helicopter Parent’ Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means Just because you don’t follow your kid to her job interview doesn’t mean you aren’t helicopter parenting.
Managing College Transitions: A Guide For Parents.
College Students Speak: A Survey Report on Mental Health. An interesting report. Students coming to college with mental health issues (depression, anxiety, and trauma) are increasing dramatically. This report has some powerful insights about what happens when students do not disclose their conditions, thus not having access to campus support networks, also provides student reflection on what they wish they had done.
College depression: What parents need to know. College depression is a common problem. Understand why the transition to college makes young adults vulnerable to depression — and what you can do about it.
Have Smartphones destroyed a Generation? More comfortable online than out partying, post-Millennials are safer, physically, than adolescents have ever been. But they’re on the brink of a mental-health crisis.
7 Great Tips For When Your College Kid Comes Home For The Holidays.
Home (Bitter) Sweet Home: A College Student Perspective. Advice for Parents and Students about surviving the summer.
Questions Parents and Students Should Answer Before Heading Off to College for the First Time.
The Hidden Signs: Teenage Depression and Room Organization. Recommended by a parent of a current student.
Books
iGen - Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood — and What That Means for the Rest of Us. Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D. (2017). ISBN-13: 978-1501151989.
Teach Yourself How to Learn: Strategies You Can Use to Ace Any Course at Any Level. Sandra Yancy McGuire and Mark McDaniel. (2018). ISBN-13: 978-1620367568. This is the book referenced in the parent sessions.
The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke. Suze Orman. (2005). This is a great book about money for young adults.
Reading for Parents (pdf) (a list of additional materials in this pdf document created by now retired, professor of Global Studies, Dr. Hilary Frost)
Social Media
Grown & Flown. Has a lot of great articles and resources about the college search process, success strategies for college students and parents, as well as some comic relief with common adulting issues. They are on several of the social media platforms and are the source for a lot of material on our Parent/Family group page.
Resources
College Parents of America. College Parents of America’s mission is to promote greater student achievement & completion of post-secondary education. Please join us for helpful tips, insights & benefits that support student success.
College Parent Central. This site is designed to give you information, and food for thought, about college and about parenting a college student. If you have a son or daughter currently attending college, or getting ready to go to college soon, we hope that you will find College Parent Central helpful.