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Parents / Families

Our Vision

We will partner with you, the families of JMU students, to encourage student independence and prepare students to become educated and enlightened citizens who will lead productive and meaningful lives.

Preparing for your new role

Your student is heading off to Madison and is about to begin a new life. From newfound freedom and an abundance of new choices to a new set of daunting responsibilities, your student will use The One Book, Summer Springboard and 1787 August Orientation to prepare for his or her new role. Your role is changing, too, and we want to help you prepare for the transition.

Parents and family members are an important part of the JMU community and you deserve a special welcome, too. We expect parents and family members to play an active role in the success of your student. The challenge is how to be involved while ensuring that your student is the one making the decisions, completing The One Book steps, learning the lessons and taking healthy risks. What makes this challenging is that your student has to learn how to balance newfound freedoms with an immense degree of responsibility. On this site, and during Summer Springboard, is where we begin the dialogue with you about how this relationship works. It provides you with some of the details you need to make your way as a JMU parent or family member.

We anticipate that you have a lot of questions. The links to the left can provide answers to most of your questions. To the right you will notice important orientation dates for your calendar. We look forward to meeting you during orientation, and helping you and your student make a smooth transition to Madison!

Mission Statement

Orientation engages students in the JMU learning experience by preparing them to be active and authentic members of the university community.

2013 Transfer Dates

Summer Springboard:
May 29, 30
June 3, 4

1787 August Orientation:
August 23, 24, 25

2013 First-Year Dates

Summer Springboard:
June 24, 25, 26, 27
July 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18

Residence Hall Move-in:
August 20 or 21

1787 August Orientation:
August 21, 22, 23, 24, 25