At DigiPen, our goal is to prepare students for their professional careers by providing them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience. Our focus is to empower students to learn and practice professionalism, leadership, and communication to ready them for the workforce.
As Student Affairs professionals, we understand that families and support systems play a crucial role in a student’s college journey. Our goal is to share our perspective on communication, as well as provide tips on how you can best support your student.
Communication Philosophy
DigiPen recognizes students as independent individuals and encourages them to take control of their college journey, including communication with the school. As the primary representative, students are expected to participate in all meetings, voice their needs, make decisions, and answer all inquiries and scheduled appointments. DigiPen staff will directly communicate with students regarding their situation, unless there is an extenuating circumstance, such as hospitalization.
DigiPen communicates with students through various channels, such as email, Microsoft Teams, Moodle, Colleague Self-Service, and Regroup emergency alert system. Social media accounts not operated by DigiPen should not be considered official sources of information. Emailing is the best and most appropriate way to contact us.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
DigiPen adheres to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects the confidentiality of student education records and restricts access to them. Students have the power to grant permission for access to their information through Colleague Self-Service. Records protected by FERPA include grades, housing details, financial information, and disciplinary proceedings.
If you are not authorized to access your student’s records, DigiPen can still answer general questions that do not pertain to a specific student. We are happy to provide information on available resources, programs, policies, and procedures.
Emergency Situations and Students of Concern
In case of life-threatening emergency situations, students’ family members and support system can reach out to local authorities and Student Affairs at (425) 629-5015. For non-life-threatening situations, you can also contact Student Affairs at studentaffairs@digipen.edu. DigiPen uses the Regroup system to communicate in case of an emergency, and students and employees can receive notifications on their personal email addresses and phone numbers. DigiPen offers comprehensive emotional support services to its students, including the Counseling Center. Students who require emotional support are encouraged to reach out to the Counseling Center.
Supporting Your Student
To help improve your communication and support your student, we encourage you to:
- Set realistic expectations.
- Talk to your student.
- Ask helpful and supportive questions.
- Allow them leeway to make decisions and learn from their mistakes.
- Encourage your student to use available resources and opportunities to build connections with the DigiPen community.
- Assemble a health kit for your student, including items like a thermometer, pain reliever, bandages, and copies of their health information.
We hope these guidelines and expectations provide a clear understanding of the role of families in a student’s college journey at DigiPen Institute of Technology.