Common Questions for Families
Sign-up for the UIndy Family Newsletter to stay up to date on what is happening across our campus community. Direct questions or concerns to 317-788-3530.
Mail at UIndy
Receiving a letter from home means a lot to students, especially at busy times of the year. Whether you need to send your student a small note of encouragement or a large package UIndy has a process to help ensure your student gets things in a timely manner. Learn more about where and how to send your student mail.
Textbooks
In order to be successful during their time at UIndy, students will need a variety of books and course materials. The UIndy Bookstore provides an easy way for you to find what materials you need for each class and a variety of rental/purchase options. Learn more about the textbooks your student needs.
Meal Plan Requirements
UIndy offers four levels of meal plans that depend on a student’s resident status and how often they plan to eat on campus. During their first-year on campus, residents are required to select either the 14-meal-per-week or 19-meal-per week plan. This is designed to help students adjust to living on their own without having to worry about buying and preparing food, especially for students who do not have their own transportation. Establishing meal plans also enables our food service operation to plan ahead and make food purchases based on a reliable estimate of quantities needed.
Health & Wellness Center
The Health & Wellness Center has three full-time nurse practitioners and one part-time physician to provide care. A Health Coach is also available to offer wellness and fitness programs. Patients must make an appointment to be seen. Please call 317-497-6500 to schedule an appointment. Office visits and medical records in the Health & Wellness Center are always confidential and are protected by professional standards.
Full-time day students can take advantage of Health & Wellness Center services, as can any student living in campus housing or any clinical student who has a completed Student Health Record. Students who don't fall under this umbrella will be referred to local medical centers for treatment. The Health & Wellness Center will also see UIndy employees and their immediate family (children must be 12 years or older). Learn more about the Health & Wellness Center.
Obtaining Student Grades
UIndy fully complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which states that all student academic information is confidential, including grades. Once a child reaches 18, the confidentiality rights transfer to the student. For that reason, UIndy will only release a student’s academic records to the student. Read more about FERPA guidelines.
Adjustments to College Life
Students often experience homesickness when they first arrive at college and even at the beginning of a new semester after a long break. Encourage students to get involved in campus activities, which will help them make friends and feel more at home. In addition, UIndy’s Counseling Center has licensed psychologists and supervised interns available to assist and talk to students who need extra help. All services are free and confidential.
Roommate Issues
Sometimes, despite best efforts, roommates don’t get along. A student’s parents and family can help best by urging the student to work through these issues with the help of trained university staff. Resist the urge to step in and sort it out—encourage your student to take the lead!
Each residence hall is staffed by a group of paraprofessionals called Resident Assistants (RAs) who are available to help students with questions or problems. Encourage your student to speak with the RA about a problem that cannot be resolved through a discussion with the roommate.
UIndy has a number of tools to assist students in developing harmonious roommate relationships, including roommate agreement forms and mediation by the RA. There is plenty of support for the student willing to take charge and ask for it, and being able to manage that process develops a student’s confidence and maturity.
Campus Emergency Alerts
UIndy works with Rave Wireless to send Watchdog emergency alerts. Rave specializes in higher education and comes highly recommended for speed and reliability of message delivery. This service sends emergency alerts through text messages, emails and phone calls.
We are advising students to add their cell phone and any personal email address to the system; commuter students will want to include their home phone. (It could save them a trip to campus in bad weather!) They also are welcome to add parent contact information to their profile, as long as parents understand they will receive all emergency notifications regardless of time of day. Phone messages originate from 317-788-3559, so phones with Caller ID can be programmed to display the name “Watchdog” when that number calls. You can help us by urging your student to use the convenient Watchdog channel that has been set up on My UIndy (on the My Stuff tab) to complete the registration process and sign up for their preferred modes of receiving alerts, including text messages. Students will be able to add and delete contact information any time they choose by accessing the system through the My UIndy channel.