ASU Parents and Family
Resources for the Sun Devil Family
Cynthia Lietz
Dear parents, family members, and loved ones,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you, the loved ones of our Watts College students, to our community. At Watts College, we have four schools that offer a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees to prepare students for public service. Whether they are studying criminology, social work, public administration, nonprofit leadership, emergency management, or one of our other degree programs, we are incredibly proud of our entire student body. The commitment and drive of our students to make the world a better place serves as an inspiration to our faculty and staff.
Our Watts College community includes leaders, faculty, staff, students, and community members who join together to create, implement, and evaluate solutions to some of our most complicated social problems. As a parent or loved one of one of our students, you too are a part of our community. As a mother, I remember the excitement and trepidation I felt when I moved our first son into an ASU residence hall just a few years ago. And, I will never forget the pride I experienced when seeing him graduate with his college degree just a few years later. We understand that this is an incredibly important and meaningful time for you and your student as well. Please know that we are honored to partner with you in supporting all of our Watts College students as we together prepare the next generation of public servants.
ASU has robust opportunities for families including resources here: Sun Devil Family Association website and a brand new Family Hub where you can engage with other families and university officials!
We hope to see you soon!
Cynthia Lietz
Dean
Things to know about your Watts College Student Experience
- All first-year students will take ASU 101. This is a required course for all first-year students, and in Watts College, we spend time focusing on social problems. In this class, we will ask your student: What social problem do you care about? Why do you care about it? What can you do about it?
- All of our first-year students attend ServeCon. This is a dynamic event exposing students to the exciting challenges they'll be taking on, while also serving as an opportunity to learn about future careers and to meet fellow students and faculty.
- Utilize ASU services - student fees pay for all kinds of great services like tutoring, campus recreation and wellness center, and campus health services. Getting started with these services now will help your student be more successful at ASU.
- Encourage your student to branch out - join a new club, sign up for a leadership opportunity, study abroad.
- Volunteer - your students will have some free time - encourage them the find an organization that they care about and spend that free time giving back to the community. This will help solidify their passion and commitment to public service.
- Visit the Career Center! Get started on a resume and figure out what else you want to do to get your resume filled out for your ideal first job out of college.
- Classes are getting harder, so do not forget to encourage your students to seek help! ASU tutoring and visiting faculty during office hours can have a huge impact on student success.
- Find an internship! College is a great time to gain some professional experience without the commitment of a full-time job. Many majors in Watts College require internships or field experience in the senior year.
- Visit the Career Center again!
- Say yes to more opportunities! College is awesome and your students should have all of the experiences they want to have.