The Office of Student Affairs hosted a seminar and workshop on “Parenting for Student Success & Wellbeing” on Saturday, December 13, 2014 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at BRAC University Auditorium (UB 1). Organized jointly by the First-Year Advising Team (FYAT), Counseling Unit, and Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), the interactive sessions were designed to explore the challenges and support for both students and parents at BRAC University.
BRAC University believes that parents and family members provide crucial support for students facing a variety of challenges in personal development, academic performance and social adjustments during the transition to university life. The main objectives of this seminar were to gather information from the parents about the academic progress and personal wellbeing of their son/daughter during the first year of university life, and to promote and convey the importance of parents’ contributions to student development particularly during their first year at the university.
The speakers at the seminar and workshop included Professor Riaz P. Khan, Dean of Student Affairs, Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, Director of BRAC Institute of Languages, Ms. Farida Akhtar, Renowned Psychologist and Consultant of the Counseling Unit, and Ms. Sumaiya Anwar, Faculty and Coordinator of the Counseling Unit, BRAC University. In addition, the interactive sessions were facilitated by the faculty members of OSA.
During Counseling session, Ms. Sumaiya Anwar, Faculty and Coordinator of the Counseling Unit discussed about the socio-emotional changes faced by young adults (18-24 years) and how parents can contribute to the progress especially in socio-emotional development. Later on Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, Director, BRAC Institute of Languages, BRAC University spoke about parent’s role to help students to overcome drug addiction. Renowned Psychologist and Consultant of the Counseling Unit, BRAC University Ms. Farida Akhtar facilitated an interactive session with the parents. From the discussion, information was elucidated about the changes that parents have noticed within their son/daughter during the transition period of first year at BRAC University, how they are dealing with such issues and what sorts of supports that parents are expecting from the Counseling Unit to enhance the bondage of parent-child relationship.
Since the session was very experiential and interactive, the parents expressed a great deal of satisfaction about the entire program.