In an effort to streamline important resources and communications for students’ families, Drexel University recently launched its new Family Portal in September, creating a one-stop-shop for all this information.
Although the Drexel University Family Portal just launched and is becoming an especially helpful resource for families during this time of remote learning, its creation actually began over a year ago. Over the years, parents and guardians had expressed interest in having a portal of their own to view information about their student, Kaitlyn Delengowski, Director of Special Events for Enrollment Management and Student Success told DrexelNOW.
“[The Family Portal] is something that has been in the works for a long time,” Delengowski said. “We listened to feedback that families wanted their own portal to access the tools that Drexel has to offer and to have things in one place, so we are glad that we’ve been able to move in this direction.”
According to Drexel, the purpose of the Family Portal is to give parents “relevant, up-to-date information about all things Drexel in one central location.”
Families will have the ability to request access to their student’s billing information, financial aid, grades and class schedules within the Family Portal. Ultimately, the accessibility of that information is determined by the student, protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
In addition to the student-specific information, parents can also sign up for notifications regarding co-op and career support, student housing, scholarships and more.
Families will also be able to receive important alerts from the university through the Family Portal, including important calendar dates and deadlines, like university holidays and examination periods.
Although registering for the Drexel University Family Portal is a simple process for families, it does take a bit of time to process.
“When initially connecting a portal account with an individual student, Delengowski said it’s important for parents to keep in mind that it is not instantaneous, and usually takes about 24 business hours,” DrexelNOW reported. “It is also more successful to use your student’s ‘short name’ Drexel email address instead of the alias that features a student’s full name.”
The extent to which the Family Portal is used to stay up-to-date is up to individual families, Delengowski explained. While it is a great resource for parents, it should be used in conjunction with other university resources, like the Counseling Center, Drexel Central, the Office of Admissions and more.