Whether you are a “first-timer” or an experienced college parent, whether you live
across town, across the country, or around the globe, wherever you find yourself and
whatever your circumstances, you are a valuable member of the New Mexico Tech community.
You, after all, have nurtured and raised the bright, enthusiastic, and capable young
adults we are proud to call Techies!
New Mexico Tech offers a wealth of opportunities for your student, both in the classroom
and through our extensive co-curricular program. Sometimes the array of choices and
resources can seem overwhelming, and your student may turn to you for guidance. The
Office of Residential Life wants to support you in helping your student succeed at
Tech.
Why Should My Student Come to Live On-Campus at Tech?
Safe Environment
NMT campus police maintain a solid force on campus with the size and experience that
could match many New Mexico towns. However, the NMT community is very safe and extremely
friendly, crime statistics are very low, with no violent or serious crimes. Crime
statistics can be obtained by contacting campus police. The city of Socorro also maintains a police force to keep the general public of
the town safe. New Mexico State Police also maintains a local presence, and have a
substation a few miles North of town.
Something broken? All you need to do is email Residential Life at residential_life@os-tw.com. Please include your name, room, and a detailed description of the issue. We will
send you a confirmation of your request.
In the event of an emergency (i.e. flooding), please call the Campus Life Office at
575-835-5900. If it is outside of normal business hours (M-F 8am-5 pm) please contact Campus Police at 575-835-5434. We will get someone out to assist.
In the unlikely event, you request seems to take a long time to be addressed, contact
the Residential Life Office and we will help address the concern.
A Roommate Problem
Many parents tell us that their student is “just not a conflict person” or their student
“prefers to avoid conflict.” Conflict is a natural part of life and we do well to
develop skills which help us manage conflict respectfully, advocate for ourselves
well, and resolve minor conflicts before they blossom into something much larger.
Our roommate conflict and mediation process is designed to infuse learning these skills
into these educational life experiences.
Friends and Families are instrumental in providing support and assistance to their
student. By listening to your student, you can be a sounding board, providing support
and perspective. You can help your student to understand their role in the process
and empower them to affect their situation.
Assure your student that having a roommate conflict is not a rare occurrence. Living
with others requires ongoing communication. Most students are able to resolve conflicts
in a way that meets everyone’s needs.
Listen to your student as they explain the conflict; ask if it could be a misunderstanding
rather than an intentional dispute.
Ask whether they have sat down and had a heart to heart talk with their roommate.
Students often think they have communicated their feelings without having actually
expressed them.
Ask if they have contacted their RA to request roommate mediation. RAs are trained
in conflict mediation, and we generally find that an unbiased third party can help
students come up with solutions that they may not have discovered on their own. In
more challenging situations, a series of mediation's may be necessary. Please encourage
your student to communicate with the RA if they feel that further intervention is
needed.
If your student is looking for additional information regarding roommate communication,
please refer them to their Residence Life Coordinator.
An Academic Issue
New Mexico Tech has a number of resources to support students. A list of them are
on the NMT academic Affairs website
Keep in touch, college is stressful and you may catch your student at a time where
they need to vent. Don't expect them to respond every time you call, or respond to
every message, but make sure you're available for them.
Get informed about Campus Resources:
Helping your student navigate their college is one of the most useful ways for you
to assist your college student during their transition to college life. To do this
encourage them to look around our website or look around yourself and inform them
of anything you deem useful to their needs. For a brief overview of our Campus Resources,
see Student Services.
Communicating:
Let your student share what their experiencing with you. They're going to be exploring
new viewpoints and perspectives which might change their own preconceptions. Allow
them to explore these new ideas without being judgmental. Understand that change is
expected, whether it be in appearance or attitude. Still be careful about which changes
may be signs of declining mental or physical health, however, and direct your student
to Counseling Services if you believe they need they're experiencing these bigger issues.
Continue to have difficult conversations:
Be aware that you still have a large influence on your student, even if you no longer
have the same direct control over their actions as you did when they were younger.
In college, your student will have to make their own decisions about when to get up,
what to eat, when to study, and most importantly, whether or not to engage in risky
activity such as consuming alcohol. While you obviously can't force them to act exactly
the way you would like them to, sharing your values can have a tremendous impact on
how they act at college. Studies show that parent's influence their child's behavior
over routine and risky behavior even after college, especially at a time when cell
phones and other technology make it easier for students to stay connected with and
rely on their parents. Respect your student's autonomy as an adult, but create an
open air for them to ask about things such as alcohol and sexual relationships.
Trust your student:
College is also a time where students get to know who they are and who they want to
be. Figuring this out is a difficult enough process without the feeling that the people
whose opinions have the greatest impact on their outlook are doubting things that
they're already feeling doubtful about.
