Message from the Dean of Students
Greg Kneser • 507-786-3023 • kneser@stolaf.edu

My warmest greetings from St. Olaf! We are delighted that students will be arriving soon and look forward to their participation as a member of the St. Olaf community. We also look forward to the involvement of our parents and hope that we can be supportive and provide assistance to you on your journey as a parent “going to college”.

I thought it might be helpful to pass along some information to assist you in preparing for your role as a St. Olaf parent. First, you may know that we have class deans available to assist students and parents. Rosalyn Eaton-Neeb, ‘87, is the Associate Dean for First-Year and Transfer Students, and La Rue Pierce serves as Associate Dean for Sophomores.  Richard Durocher, Professor of English, is joining our staff as Associate Dean for Juniors and Seniors.  Pamela McDowell, Associate Dean, continues her work leading the residence life program, and Tim Schroer, Associate Dean, directs the Buntrock Commons.   Barb Schmidt and Colleen Skluzacek are our support staff and are often the first people you speak with when contacting us. This group is very experienced and very committed to students. I feel fortunate to have such a dedicated group on my team because I know that they care about your student’s welfare and will do every appropriate thing to assist you should questions or concerns arise. All of the class deans are poised to help students of any academic class and can be reached at (507) 786-3023. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance to you or to your student.

We value your involvement and we wish to work in a partnership with you to make your son or daughter’s experience at St. Olaf the most positive experience possible. It is not unusual for us to enlist the support of family members and others to assist students in dealing with the problems they may face here. These are often times of stress and great anxiety, but experience tells us that students are better off with a cooperative network of people looking out for their welfare. St. Olaf takes a community approach to dealing with issues that present themselves on campus, and we consider you an important member.

My encouragement to you, if you have not already done so, is to have a discussion with your son or daughter about being a participative and responsible member of this community, and be open and honest about your thoughts and feelings concerning the choices they are likely to face. If you need some assistance on this task, I recommend that you utilize the enclosures labeled “Families Going to College.” It is a tool for discussion with your student about anticipated changes during the next academic year. Having been the first-year dean for a number of years, I have observed that the families who talked about this before leaving home were best prepared to address the bumps in the road that often followed. I also know first-hand that working with St. Olaf families has been one of the great joys of my work, and if called upon to do this, I assure you I will do all I can to assist your family.

One item that may come up is the choice students face concerning the use of alcohol and other drugs. We have consistently stated that it is our desire to have a campus focused on the wellness of each student, and on a community that would be free of alcohol and drugs. This is based on the conviction that this approach will likely (a) enhance the atmosphere for studying, learning, growth, work and wellness; (b) support members of the community affected by, or concerned with, the abuse of alcohol and drugs; (c) promote a caring environment and respect for the decisions of those who choose wellness over the use of alcohol and other drugs. We continue to work on this, mindful of the widespread and increasing level of substance abuse in our society. We do not have definitive answers to this complex problem, but we welcome your suggestions, feedback and most important, your support in communicating a healthy, intelligent message to our students.

One important item that we want you to be aware of is that all students are required to have health insurance. If your student does not currently have health insurance, it may be purchased through St. Olaf or a carrier of your choice. Information concerning the St. Olaf plan is available in this notebook.

Parents typically have a lot of questions at the start of the college year, and most certainly you will have some as the days and weeks go by. You will find helpful information and resources at this website: http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/deanofstudents/familyinfo/. Please visit it for calendars, parent handbook and much more.

Continuing on the theme of giving parents and families timely and helpful information, we will be offering a bi-monthly parent newsletter via e-mail. This publication is an excellent, timely source of information for parents and friends. It will provide links to campus events and activities, answer commonly asked questions, and provide short features of interest to parents. If you want to receive this electronic publication, please send an e-mail message with your name and your student’s name to petersn@stolaf.edu. The intent is to send out this newsletter the middle of the month.

Other online sources of news and information on the life of the St. Olaf community can be found at the St. Olaf website www.stolaf.edu or at the student-run website and portal for Oles called Oleville.  Check out and bookmark this interesting site by going to www.oleville.com and see what students (including yours …) are interested in, talking about and becoming engaged in!

In closing, I want you to know that aside from my own role as a parent and husband, being the Dean of Students at St. Olaf is the most significant responsibility in my life. Because of this dual role, I understand many of the questions and concerns that you have, and it is my intent and commitment that the experience of every student at St. Olaf is the best that it can be within a vibrant, exciting and sometimes challenging community. Please let me know how you feel I can best work to achieve this.

I am truly delighted that your student is coming to St. Olaf College and I hope that we can be as responsive to you as a parent as we are to them.

Sincerely,

Greg Kneser
Vice President/Dean of Students