Parent & Family Handbook 2025-2026

First-Year Transitions

2025–2026

A Guide for Families
of Providence College Students

In This Guide

  1. Providence College Mission Statement
  2. A Letter from Father Sicard
  3. Introduction
  4. Confidentiality of Student Educational Records
  5. Glossary of Terms
  1. Frequently Contacted Offices & Services
  2. Correspondence Directory
  3. Monthly Guide to the First Year Experience
    August | September | October | November & December | January & February | March | April & May

Providence College Mission Statement

Providence College is a Catholic, Dominican, liberal arts institution of higher education and a community committed to academic excellence in pursuit of the truth, growth in virtue, and service of God and neighbor. It was founded in 1917 by the Dominican Friars at the invitation of Bishop Harkins to provide a Catholic education in the arts and sciences.

Faith and Reason

Providence College is confident in the appeal of reason, believes that human beings are disposed to know the truth, and trusts in the power of grace to enlighten minds, open hearts, and transform lives. It maintains that the pursuit of truth has intrinsic value, that faith and reason are compatible and complementary means to its discovery, and that the search for truth is the basis for dialogue with others and critical engagement with the world.

Academic Excellence

The College holds itself to the highest standards in teaching, learning, and scholarship. Its core curriculum addresses key questions of human existence—including life’s meaning and purpose—and stresses moral and ethical reasoning, aesthetic appreciation, and understanding of the natural world, other cultures, and diverse traditions. It honors academic freedom, promotes critical thinking and engaged learning, and encourages a pedagogy of disputed questions.

Community and Diversity

Following the example of St. Dominic, who extended a loving embrace to all, the College welcomes qualified men and women of every background and affirms the God-given dignity, freedom, and equality of each person. It promotes the common good, the human flourishing of each member of the campus community, and service of neighbors near and far.

Veritas and Providence

Providence College brings the 800-year-old Dominican ideal of Veritas (truth) to the issues and challenges of today. It seeks to share the fruits of contemplation in an increasingly global and diverse society, and supports the Dominican mission of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a new generation of students—helping them discover God’s providence in their lives.

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PROVIDENCE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A PLACE — it is a promise of God’s protection and the fulfillment of His loving plan. To us, it is a sacred word that denotes both our home and our essential mission: to provide an environment where each person comes to understand their true purpose and to become all that God created them to be. That mission inspires and animates our work, constantly reminding us that we are called to guide our students as they seek purpose, seek truth, and seek the fulfillment that comes from a life well lived. 

We are committed to helping all our students – and their families — navigate the challenges of the transition to college. PC is a place where, in addition to receiving a top-quality education, our students make meaningful connections with others and have real opportunities to participate in the life of the community. They make friends and find mentors; they will never walk alone on this journey. 

First-Year Transitions is designed to help you understand that journey in the context of today’s particular challenges and help your student get the most out of the academic and extracurricular opportunities at PC. 

Here, we educate the whole person — mind and body, heart and soul. I invite you to join with us in partnership as we support your student on this path to an outcome both defined and inspired by divine providence. 

Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G, President

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Introduction

College students mature at different rates and bring a variety of coping skills to their situation. As with any process, there are certain tendencies that occur for first-year students of which parents should be aware. The “ebbs and flows” of each semester tend to follow certain cycles.

College provides a unique opportunity for parents and the institution to collaborate as partners in the development of first-year students. Identifying issues, encouraging the use of support systems, and recommending new strategies are appropriate roles for both a concerned parent and a caring institution. Our common goal is to advance students’ problem-solving skills—not to solve their problems or make decisions for them.

This guide has two parts. Part one covers resources and a glossary of common terms. Part two is a calendar of typical student and family issues and important deadlines. Some issues identified here may not occur at the times indicated, may never occur, or may occur in entirely different ways than described.

Confidentiality of Student Educational Records (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, is a federal privacy law that generally prohibits disclosure of personally identifiable information from students’ educational records without prior written consent. Upon enrollment at college, rights under FERPA reside with the student—unlike in grades K–12, where the rights reside with the parents. Educational records include financial aid, academic, and disciplinary records, and other personally identifiable information.

There are exceptions that permit disclosure without consent, including for health or safety emergencies, where appropriate parties may include parents, law enforcement, emergency responders, and other community members. Consent is also not required for disclosure to “school officials” who need information to perform a professional, job-related task.

If a student wishes to authorize disclosure of confidential information to parents, guardians, or any other designated individual or entity, the student completes and signs a specific authorization form. That authorization remains in effect for as long as the student is enrolled or until the student revokes consent in writing. The full policy and consent form are available at registrar.providence.edu/policies/ferpa-guidelines. Students may obtain more detailed information from the Office of the Registrar, Harkins Hall, Room 310.

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Glossary of Terms

  • Academic Advisor: faculty member or professional advisor responsible for helping a student explore academic alternatives; assists in choosing courses, goal-setting, and referrals.
  • Academic Dismissal: disqualification from continued matriculation, which can occur through academic probation for two successive semesters, or a cumulative quality GPA less than 1.58 at the end of the second semester of the first year.
  • Academic Probation: a warning of severe academic danger—cumulative quality GPA at the end of the first semester below 1.60, and/or between 1.58–1.799 cumulative at the end of the second semester of the first year.
  • AP Credits: course credit for AP exams with a score of four or greater. Students are still expected to meet the College’s requirement of eight full-time semesters.
  • Dean’s Honor List: a 3.55 GPA or better attained at the end of a semester with no grade less than a “C,” full-time status, and in good standing.
  • GPA: grade point average, obtained by dividing the total number of quality grade points by the total number of credit hours attempted.
  • Grade Reports: students may access mid-semester and final grades via CyberFriar, provided all administrative, disciplinary, and financial obligations have been fulfilled. A “Final Grade Mailer Request” form is available in the Office of the Registrar.
  • Hall Director: professional who coordinates services and staff of each residence hall; serves as a resource person and referral source for students.
  • Internships / Experiential Education: a supervised work experience that exposes students to professional responsibilities in a career field of interest. May be paid, volunteer, or for academic credit.
  • Majors: an area of specialization consisting of a cluster of related courses drawn from one or more departments; usually requires a minimum of 30 credit hours.
  • Minors: a cluster of thematically related courses drawn from one or more departments; usually 15 to 18 credits.
  • Promissory Note: a written agreement to repay student loans.
  • Proxy Access: a feature within CyberFriar that allows students to grant parents or guardians access to their mid-term and final grades and financial aid information. Authorization must come directly from the student, per FERPA.
  • Renewal FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid; returning students receive renewal information in the months leading up to the renewal deadline.
  • Resident Assistants (RAs): specially trained students who reside in the residence halls and provide assistance and support to students on their floors, coordinating special activities and programs.
  • Student Handbook: handbook for full-time students that provides information about student life at Providence College, its activities, and the procedures and regulations that apply.
  • Undeclared: students who enter the College without a declared major and are assigned to a specially trained academic advisor to assist them in selecting a major.

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Frequently Contacted Offices & Services

Bursar’s Office

Phone: 401.865.2284
Responsible for tuition, billings, and payment (student accounts and student loans).

Chaplain’s Office / Campus Ministry

Phone: 401.865.2216
Helps students integrate spiritual, intellectual, and personal growth. Campus ministers are available to students of all faiths in times of crisis or difficult decision-making.

Chirico Career Center

Phone: 401.865.1290
Assists students with exploring academic and career options, developing experiences, and navigating the internship and job search process.

Financial Aid Office

Phone: 401.865.2286
Oversees federal, state, and institutional loans, grants and scholarships, student work opportunities, and other financial assistance.

Personal Counseling Center

Phone: 401.865.2343
Counselors assist students with everyday challenges through serious crises. All services are confidential within the limits of law and ethics.

Parent & Family Program

Phone: 401.865.1550
Comprehensive resources for families: website, handbook, newsletters, a blog, and e-communications. A “Language Bank” assists non-English-speaking families.

Public Safety Office

Phone: 401.865.2391 · 401.865.2222 (Emergency)
Protects the community and facilities with patrols, rapid response, personal safety escorts, and emergency management.

Registrar’s Office

Phone: 401.865.1033
Course registration, transcripts, grade mailers, enrollment verifications, FERPA disclosures, degree changes, and transfer credit coordination.

Residence Life & Housing Office

Phone: 401.865.2392
Oversees on-campus residence, room assignments, meal plans, safety, and social growth.

Student Engagement & Leadership (SEAL)

Phone: 401.865.2211
Leads campus-wide events—New Student Orientation, Involvement Fairs, Spring Concert, Senior Ring Weekend, leadership retreats, and more.

Student Health Center

Phone: 401.865.2422
Confidential services for full-time undergraduates. Visits are free (charges apply for testing, referrals, prescriptions). EMTs available when the clinic is closed.

Student Success Center

Phone: 401.865.2495
One-stop academic support: advising, coaching, accessibility services, and specialized support for athletes and multicultural students. Houses the Writing and Tutorial Centers.

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Correspondence Directory

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Monthly Guide to the First Year Experience

August

Student Issues

  • Saying goodbye and communicating feelings
  • Excitement and doubts; questioning decision-making
  • Packing up and moving out
  • Living at home and commuting
  • Keeping long-distance friendships alive
  • Having second thoughts

Family Issues

  • Saying goodbye and communicating feelings
  • Anticipation
  • Assisting with packing up and moving out
  • Living at home with a commuter student

Tips & Resources

  • Be prepared for questions like “How will you feel about not seeing your student daily?”
  • Find ways to cope with separation anxiety—if you’re feeling doubts, they will too.
  • Check out the “What to Bring List” from Residence Life & Housing.
  • Discuss expectations about personal values, alcohol, and coping with peer pressure.
  • Read “Parents as Partners—Talk, They Listen” at parents.providence.edu.
  • Don’t rush to make physical changes at home right away.
  • Plan ahead and note move-in dates and times designated by Residence Life & Housing.

Important Events

  • New Student Move-In & start of Fall Orientation — August 28
  • Email regarding student employment sent to all federal work-study recipients
  • Fall semester bill due — August 15

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September

Student Issues

  • Homesickness and adjustment; risk-taking and self-discovery
  • Finding their way around campus
  • Communicating needs with friends, roommates, professors
  • Dealing with loss—old friends, siblings, community base
  • Roommate adjustment; time management and procrastination
  • First tests, papers, and quizzes
  • Social pressures (alcohol, fitting in); managing money
  • Expectations vs. reality of college life

Family Issues

  • Feelings of separation and loss
  • Changes in family routine and patterns
  • Financial concerns; anxiety about student’s adjustment
  • Uncertainty about how to respond to ambivalence
  • Adjusting to negative changes (impatience, short temper)
  • Adjusting to positive changes (appreciating parents)

Tips & Resources

  • Ask open-ended questions like “How did that feel?” to encourage real conversation.
  • Encourage your student to work out situations themselves and use campus resources.
  • Recommend the Involvement Fair hosted by SEAL and Student Congress.
  • Focus on strengths—encourage and affirm, even after a tough grade.
  • RAs and hall directors help with homesickness and “roommate agreements.”
  • Call 401.865.2348 for information on fall intramural sports.
  • Encourage your student to get to know faculty and use office hours.

Important Events

  • Classes begin—September 2
  • Fall Involvement Fair
  • Horizons and Connections retreats
  • Disbursement of federal and institutional money and refunds (if applicable)

Change can be exciting, but it can also be stressful. Students need to recognize that family and friends can be an important resource—and to remember that family rituals, communication styles, value systems, and good memories are very much a part of who they are.

Jacqueline Kiernan Mackay, Director of Parent & Family Program

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October

Student Issues

  • Adjustment issues may continue—homesickness, loneliness
  • Long-distance relationships may weaken
  • Stress over mid-semester exams
  • Balancing academics and co-curricular activities
  • Social pressures (alcohol, fitting in)
  • Questioning choices when grades don’t meet expectations

Family Issues

  • Concern over mid-semester grades
  • Continued awareness of changes in family patterns
  • Homecoming Weekend anticipation and excitement

Tips & Resources

  • Be aware that managing money may become an issue.
  • Encourage involvement—clubs, organizations, McPhail’s, lectures, and films.
  • For roommate conflicts, students should talk with their RA or hall director.
  • A great stress-buster is exercising at the Concannon Fitness Center.
  • Suggest a Chirico Career Center appointment to begin self-assessment (e.g., CliftonStrengths).
  • Encourage your student to reconnect with their academic advisor.
  • Share concerns about drinking honestly; consider the Personal Counseling Center.
  • Remind your student of the Student Success Center, tutorials, and faculty support.

Important Events

  • Financial Aid begins communicating renewal deadlines to returning students
  • Homecoming — October 3–5
  • Columbus Day — October 13 (No classes)
  • CSS Profile opens October 1 for the 2025–2026 academic year

Care Packages

Early October might be a good time for a care package from home—goodies, hometown newspaper clippings, and more. Please do not send cash or important documents through the mail without adding tracking.

Send care packages to:
STUDENT NAME
PROVIDENCE COLLEGE
212 HUXLEY AVENUE
FS # XXX
PROVIDENCE, RI 02918-0001

This can be an especially challenging time as students experience their first semester of mid-term exams. Encourage your student to achieve a balance of a healthy diet, adequate sleep, and exercise to keep stress levels low.

Parent of a First-Year Student

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November & December

Student Issues

  • Holiday issues—missing being home to help prepare
  • Health—colds, flu, “the blues”
  • Alcohol use may increase due to stress and parties
  • Worrying about plans for semester break
  • Course registration concerns
  • Papers due, finals, grades, and stress
  • Returning home and comparing experiences with friends

Family Issues

  • Dealing with a student in the process of change
  • Planning for the holidays
  • Providing support and encouraging follow-through
  • Adjusting to new behaviors during semester break

Tips & Resources

  • Encourage your student to ask for help early and emphasize they are not alone.
  • Remind them of the importance of exercise and good eating to ward off illness.
  • Be prepared for a range of reactions during semester break.
  • Studying for first-time finals can be overwhelming—sometimes just listening helps.
  • Suggest resources like the Writing Center or Tutoring Center.
  • Be aware of the powerful impact of peer pressure on decisions to drink.
  • Encourage early contact with an academic advisor for registration.

Important Events

  • Final exam period — December 15–19
  • Spring semester bill published — email notices sent to students and authorized users
  • Thanksgiving Recess — November 26–30
  • Last day of classes — December 12
  • Reading Days — December 13–14
  • Spring semester bill due — December 15

Parents often feel they have no influence over their student’s drinking, but the research suggests otherwise. Students tend to overestimate how much others are drinking and underestimate the risks. The College works hard to raise awareness and teach strategies to help students stay safe.ide the block.

Susan Ellingwood, Clinical Counselor / Asst. Director of Substance Use Services

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January & February

Student Issues

  • Readjustment to new routines; renewing what worked first semester
  • Weather—cabin fever, “the blues”
  • Decision-making stressors—add/drop, pass/fail
  • Missing those who did not return
  • Pressure to improve first-semester grades
  • Questioning choice of major or transferring
  • Stress over Valentine’s Day; loneliness; health—flu, weight gain

Family Issues

  • Health issues—not being able to care for a sick student
  • Concern over missed classes and grades
  • Worry about a student who did poorly first semester
  • Missing your student and re-establishing routines

Tips & Resources

  • Support your student’s efforts in setting new goals for second semester.
  • Peer support groups sponsored by the Personal Counseling Center can help.
  • Remind them to meet with their academic advisor and first-year dean.
  • Financial Aid will contact students whose GPA or completion rates fall short.
  • Urge students with a cold or flu to contact the Student Health Center.
  • To beat cabin fever, check the Morning Mail for campus activities.
  • Encourage workouts at Concannon, swimming at Peterson, and skating at Schneider Arena.

Important Events

  • President’s Day — February 16 (No classes)
  • Classes begin — January 12
  • MLK Holiday — January 19 (No classes)
  • Disbursement of federal and institutional money and refunds (if applicable)

Since my student first started at the College, I have relied on the Parent & Family Program for consistent information about what was going on and what was upcoming. I strongly encourage new parents to use one of the best resources you have at PC.

Parent of a Recent Graduate

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March

Student Issues

  • “Spring fever” and weather-related “blues”
  • Mid-semester stress; money problems
  • Pre-registration concerns
  • Alcohol and drug issues may escalate
  • Summer jobs; questioning choice of major
  • Spring Break plans—excitement vs. stress

Family Issues

  • Concern about decisions for next year
  • Providing extra support during mid-semester
  • Spring Break adjustment

Tips & Resources

  • Reinforce use of campus resources—Health Center, Counseling, Chaplain’s Office.
  • As spring arrives, revisit values and expectations around peer pressure and alcohol.
  • If undeclared, remind your student to attend special undeclared student workshops.
  • Encourage reconnecting with the academic advisor for April registration.
  • Mid-semester grades may signal a need for the Student Success Center.
  • The period between Spring Break and Easter may call for an extra care package.

Important Events

  • Spring Recess — March 7–15 (No classes)

March is replete with challenges: getting refocused after Spring Break, performing well on mid-terms, dealing with pre-registration, and gearing up for final projects. Students should prioritize their commitments and ask, “What must I accomplish first?”

Bryan D. Marinelli, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President / Dean of Student Academic Success

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April & May

Student Issues

  • Registration jitters; summer job and money anxieties
  • Not wanting to study due to good weather
  • More outdoor activity means more injuries and sunburn
  • “Spring fever” explodes; stress over finals and grades
  • Anxiety of leaving college friends
  • Defining independence from parents
  • Packing up and setting realistic summer goals

Family Issues

  • Being supportive of student’s decisions
  • Sharing frustrations around the registration process
  • Packing up and moving out
  • Coping with finals, grades, and report cards
  • Anxiety about the student returning for summer
  • Expectations regarding maturity and autonomy

Tips & Resources

  • Remind your student of safety as outdoor activity increases—use escorts and the shuttle.
  • Registration is easier when well prepared—reinforce seeing the advisor in advance.
  • Recommend Chirico Career Center workshops on summer jobs and internships.
  • Life after Easter recess can lack motivation—encourage getting back into routine.
  • Encourage good use of Reading Days in preparation for finals.
  • Awaiting final grades can cause anxiety—be aware of the impact on summer.
  • Adjusting to newfound independence may require flexibility on both sides.

Important Events

  • Final exam period — May 5–9
  • Easter Recess — April 2–6 (No classes)
  • Last day of classes — May 1
  • Reading Days — May 2–3

As our students leave us in May, my hope is that they leave changed for the better—that their horizons are broader, that they’ve learned from mistakes, tapped into resources they didn’t know they had, and found a professor they’re excited about.

Rev. Mark D. Nowel, O.P., Ph.D., Associate Provost

This guide for families was prepared by Jacqueline Kiernan Mackay.

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