Today on MadisonOnline

Parent Approved

Dave and Phyllis Pruett take helm of Parents Council

By Hali Chiet (’07)

Dave, Phyllis and Laura Pruett

Dave, Phyllis and Laura Pruett ('07)

Dave and Phyllis Pruett (’01P, ’07P) took the helm of the JMU Parents Counci in June. “We’re really happy to take on this role, and we’re very supportive of JMU,” says Phyllis. “I love the campus, the area and the administrators we’ve gotten to know.”

An opportunity to be involved

Created in 1978, the Parents Council gives parents an opportunity to get more involved in the life of the university. Council members advise the Division of University Advancement on programs related to parents and serve as liaisons between the university and parents. Currently, 93 parents represent each of the four student body classes.

The Parents Council meets semiannually — once in the fall during Parents Weekend and once during spring semester. During this time, members divide into five subcommittees — finance and physical development, academics, student life, enrollment services, and resource development — to discuss current issues. Meetings also feature guest speakers including JMU administrators, professors, students and coaches.

“We get important information from the university, and our mission is to take this information and make sure it gets out to other parents.” -- Dave Pruett ('01P, '07P)

“We have briefings from different parts of the administration,” explains Dave. “We get important information from the university, and our mission is to take this information and make sure it gets out to other parents.”

Last year, the Pruetts served as vice chairs of the council and helped establish three additional committees. “The outgoing chairs, Len and Nancy Weireter (’05P, ’06P), have been instrumental in setting up these special groups,” says Phyllis. These new five-member groups include subcommittees on networking and mentoring, college fairs and admissions, and parent communications. “We created these groups to help set up more aggressive networking and to participate in college fairs and other forums at high schools in various states,” says Dave.

Parents Council members are also involved with CHOICES, a spring campus visit program for admitted students. Members also assist with annual summer Freshman Send-Off Picnics. Phyllis says these programs are beneficial to incoming students. “I’m not sure how many other schools hold send-off picnics for freshmen students, but both parents and students really seem to look forward to it and appreciate it.”

Supporting the university's mission

Sherry King, director of JMU’s Parent Relations, is confident that the Pruetts will do great things as chairs. “Phyllis and Dave are both very dedicated,” she says. “Like our other Parents Council members, they are here to serve JMU in the best way they can; and they truly support the mission of the university.”

Benefits of membership

The Pruetts say they have benefited from active membership in the council. “I think we’ve learned a lot more about the university, its facilities and how everything is run,” says Phyllis. “Our son Kent graduated in 2001, and to be honest, we didn’t know much about the university.”

When their daughter, Laura Pruett (’07), made the decision to attend the university, the Pruetts wanted to be more involved. Laura, a midfielder on the field hockey team, is very supportive of her parents’ involvement. “I think it is great that they are taking over the Parents Council,” she says. “They love JMU and being a part of its successes. They are both very driven and dependable people. I know that it comes with great responsibility, but they can handle it.”

An invitation to join

Both Dave and Phyllis strongly encourage parents of incoming freshman to apply for membership on the council. “It’s not just for parents that want to make sure their child is doing okay at school,” Dave says. “It’s for those who are really interested in being an active parent and supporter in the advancement of the institution.”

Parents Council applications are included in the packet of information that is sent home to students accepted to the university. Parents can also access the application at www.jmu.edu/parents/parentscouncil.shtml.