As high school parents prepare to part with their college freshmen this summer, UNC Greensboro School of Education alumna Betsy Jensen Chapman has some advice: Trust the process.
The executive director of family communications at Wake Forest University, Chapman has had 26 years of experience helping families adjust as their students enter college and gain independence. Beyond setting up dorm rooms and paying tuition on time, parents are often thrust into a new normal themselves – walking the line of parenting and respecting their kids’ growth in independence. As a mother of an undergraduate, Chapman realized that though she was an expert in helping other families navigate this time, her own process of letting go was challenging.
“There’s an enormous difference between doling out this information to other people and me following my own advice,” Chapman says. “I have to constantly remind myself what I tell families at work: it’s uncomfortable to let go and launch your kid out into the world.”
Making connections
In her role with family communications, Chapman helps undergraduate parents and families understand university life, culture, and how to best support their students. She writes a daily blog for Wake Forest’s parents – The Daily Deac – providing insider information on what’s happening on campus, deadlines, and life in the Wake Forest community.
“For parents, it’s a way to get a little primer every day so they feel better informed to help their students,” she says, “It’s a combination of news stories, impressions of campus, discussions of major campus traditions. If every kid has the flu right now, we’re going to let families know. It helps parents feel connected.”
A double alumna of Wake Forest, Chapman knows the ins and out of what it’s like to be a student there and has spent nearly her entire career as an employee.
“I loved Wake Forest and what it gave to me,” she says. “I wanted to pay that forward in some way.”
She’s held several roles at Wake Forest including director of alumni programming, director of strategic communications, director of parent programs and her current role in family communications. In each position, she gained deep connections and understanding about the Wake Forest University community and the connections that make its students, alumni, and faculty so invested.
“When you have the opportunity to work in an environment you like and to tell the story of a place that deeply matters to you, that’s really amazing,” Chapman says. “I’ve been grateful to have opportunities to try and explore some things that have turned out to work well for me personally, but also for the institution.”
Understanding higher ed administration
While rising in the ranks as a Wake Forest University staff member, Chapman enrolled at UNC Greensboro’s School of Education in the doctoral program for Higher Education Administration, now known as the Ph.D. in Educational Studies – Higher Education Concentration.
“The Ph.D. program at UNCG was built beautifully for adult professionals who are currently working,” Chapman says. “The coursework made me much more fluent in higher education beyond my own institution. I love working in higher ed and it really gave me a deeper understanding of administrative decisions.”
Chapman’s cohort included other professionals working full time at colleges including Guilford College, Elon University, UNC Pembroke, and High Point University.
“The cohort was huge for me,” she says. “We came from quite different schools and each had different strengths that helped us all grow in writing, research, and statistics. Sharing the practical applications of our courses to our various universities was extremely helpful.”
One of only two doctoral programs in higher education offered in North Carolina, UNCG’s program makes it possible for students to work and earn their degrees with flexible online courses and full- or part-time enrollment options. Students work with other professionals and award-winning faculty.
“I can’t say enough good things about the faculty,” Chapman says. “Former Chancellor Linda P. Brady was one of my instructors and she gave us the real scoop on how hard it is to be a leader in higher education. It gave me a deeper and more grounded understanding of the higher education landscape. It’s invaluable to the work that I do.”
Encouraging words
As Chapman prepares to help families of the class of 2029 send their students into the next chapter of their lives this August, she keeps in mind what she had to do for herself.
“I have to remind myself to let my student set their own boundaries,” she says. “I tell families we all share the same goal: the success of our students.”
Written by Alice Manning Touchette
Photography courtesy of Betsy Jensen Chapman