Dean of Freshman Peter Goldsmith announced that the College decided to drop a proposal to move Freshman Parents Weekend to Fall term, meaning the weekend will remain in the spring.
But the College may still eventually move the weekend or institute a new weekend in the fall for parents of students in all four classes.
Goldsmith, who released a memo with the decision on March 9,said Freshman Parents Weekend would stay in the spring, but said he is concerned not enough parents will be able to make a special trip up to the College to attend a spring meeting.
Last May, the College announced Freshman Parents Weekend would move to Fall term, beginning with the Class of 1999. Goldsmith originally suggested the move and was one of its biggest supporters.
But the Coalition of Class Officers objected to the proposal, primarily because it meant freshmen would have less input in planning the weekend, and they would not be adequately acclimated to Dartmouth after only a couple of months.
Class leaders said yesterday they were happy Freshman Parents Weekend will remain in the spring.
"I don't think parents can see a significance in the weekend unless it is in the spring because that's when parents can see how the child has grown and what Dartmouth has done for them," Class of 1997 President Pam Saunders said.
In his memo, Goldsmith expressed concern about two issues: reaching the parents of first-year students as early as possible during their son or daughter's first year at Dartmouth and the difficulty that freshman parents "of more modest means" have in attending events on campus.
In an attempt to alleviate these problems, Goldsmith suggested a three-part proposal in the memo.
"If these programs do not fulfill the goals that I have set for them," Goldsmith wrote, "it may be necessary to again consider moving the spring event to the fall."
The first part of Goldsmith's new proposal recommends the planning of a program on "drop-off" day, the day many parents drop off their child in the fall.
The program would give parents the chance to hear from important College officials and meet with representatives from various College offices, such as Financial Aid and the Office of Residential Life.
Goldsmith's second suggestion calls for Alumni Relations to help send a representative from the College to speak to parents of incoming freshmen at Alumni Club functions in the summer and early fall.
"In this way, we hope to reach first-year parents who may find it difficult to meet College representatives at any time during their son or daughter's first year of study," the memo states.
Senior Class President Alyse Kornfeld said Goldsmith's proposal to have a College representative speak to parents of incoming freshmen during the summer and early fall is a "great idea."
The third part of the proposal suggests the institution of a fall family weekend that would enable the College to host the parents of students from all four classes.
The weekend would include presentations to parents "geared around the issues particular to each of the four classes" and would be aimed at attracting parents primarily from the New England area.
