Parent & Family Frequently Asked Questions:
YOUR STUDENT’S COLLEGE JOURNEY IS A TRANSFORMATIVE TIME AND YOUR SUPPORT PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THEIR SUCCESS.
This FAQ is designed to address common questions, provide helpful resources, and guide you in encouraging your student’s growth and independence during their college journey. Thank you for supporting your student’s success!
Students’ grades are confidential and are unable to be shared or discussed with anyone but the student. Learn more about student privacy with FERPA. We encourage you to have an open conversation with your student about their academic progress and their willingness to share updates with you. As a family, you can also discuss the Parent Portal which allows students to give online access to financial information and final grades to designated individuals.
Students must initiate their own accommodation requests with the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) Office. You can support your student by encouraging them to self-advocate, gather any necessary documentation, and schedule their own appointment with SAS. Click here to learn more.
UNH Manchester students are all assigned a professional academic advisor. They are encouraged to reach out to their advisor with questions. Throughout the semester, students will receive messages to their student email accounts with links to schedule meetings. All students are required to meet with their advisor at least once a semester to select courses for the upcoming semester, but there may be other requested appointments as needed. For example, we meet with all new students within the first month of the semester to check-in about their transition.
UNH instructors are encouraged to submit academic progress reports for students before the drop period. Any student marked at-risk will be notified and will also receive an email from their advisor discussing academic resources and suggesting a meeting to go over supports and options. Faculty can submit alerts at other points in the semester if there is grade concern and the advising office will follow up with the student.
UNH Manchester students are able to take courses in Durham. It is not recommended that Manchester students take Durham courses in their first semester. Students should work with their advisor to discuss specific courses to learn if there are any campus restrictions. It’s important to note the Durham courses are conducted primarily in-person on the Durham campus and would require students to commute.
Students are able to pursue second/dual majors and minors on the Durham campus. This would require students to complete necessary coursework in Durham. We encourage students to speak with their academic advisor to discuss major and minor interests to learn more.
UNH courses are typically four credits each, with the exception of some seminar-based courses that are one or two credits. It is expected that each credit hour is the equivalent of three hours of academic work weekly. https://catalog.unh.edu/undergraduate/academic-policies-procedures/credit-hour-policy/
Full-time standing at UNH is 12-20 credits per semester. New students in their first semester are restricted to a maximum of 18 credits.
UNH Manchester advisors work closely with our Admissions Office to have transfer and AP coursework evaluated for students. Learn more here.
We appreciate your willingness to help and support your student. However, advising appointments are limited to students and advisors. You can help your student prepare for their advising appointment by developing a list of questions to ask.
In rare cases, parents might be invited to attend advising appointments. These invitations would be initiated by an advisor.
The UNHM Career and Professional Success Office (CaPS) supports students with career and internship exploration. UNH students have lifetime access to Career and Professional Success. We recommend that you encourage your student to get connected with CaPS during their first semester.
In any given week, there are several on-campus events, meetings, and opportunities for students to connect. PandoraNet is the primary portal for students to get connected with events and to join clubs and organizations at UNH Manchester.
If you have concerns about your student, you can encourage your student to reach out to their academic advisor for support. Advisors can refer and connect students to resources.
If you have a well-being question or concern, you can contact Dr. Lisa Enright, Assistant Dean of Student Success at lisa.enright@unh.edu.
If faculty and staff are concerned about a student’s well-being, a Student Concern Referral is made and reviewed by the CARES Team. Student outreach is initiated if needed and support services are reviewed.
Yes, UNH offers January (referred to as J-term) and summer. These classes can be a good option for students to take additional courses and make further progress toward degree completion. Since J-term and summer courses are not included in fall or spring tuition, students should consult their academic advisor and financial aid about their course plan and options.
Students who earn a semester and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher are in good standing. Students who earn a semester and/or cumulative GPA below 2.0 may be placed on academic warning, exclusion, suspension, or dismissal. Student records are reviewed at the end of the fall and spring semesters and students are notified through UNH email, if they are not in good academic standing.
First-year students will be enrolled in a First Year Seminar course. This course is taught by a professional staff member with peer mentorship embedded in the course. The goal is to guide new students through the transition from high school to college. Topics such as time management, college study skills, stress management, financial literacy, major and career exploration, and accessing campus resources are discussed.
New transfer students are strongly encouraged to enroll in an online Transfer Seminar. This eight-week course focuses on the unique needs of transfer students as they transition from one institution to another.
We offer drop-in advising during the first two weeks of the semester so that students can stop by with any questions or concerns as they begin classes.
Additionally, all new students meet with a peer or professional advisor within the first month of the semester for goal setting and checking in on the adjustment.
All students receive academic progress reports during the 5th week of the semester to identify any academic concerns and connect students to appropriate resources.
UNH offers a variety of study away programs, including short-term, semester, and summer options. Learn more here.
If your student is dealing with an unexpected, extenuating circumstance that will keep them out of class or affect their class performance for more than two days, they can email Lisa Enright, Assistant Dean of Student Success to request that a Dean's Letter be sent to their faculty. Your student should include a brief description of the situation and provide some documentation (e.g., medical documentation) when emailing Dr. Enright. The Dean's Letter explains that they are experiencing compelling, non-academic circumstances beyond their control which might affect academics. We ask that students reach out to their faculty to discuss how to stay on top of the work that they will need to miss.
If your student is unable to contact Dr. Enright directly, you can contact her to explore options.
UNH Manchester offers a wide array of academic and well-being services for students. You can review a summary of services here. Additionally, there are student engagement opportunities