For Parents & Families
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There is so much to do at Paul Smith's College. Events being added all the time!
There is so much to do at Paul Smith's College. Events being added all the time!
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To View or Obtain Transcripts:
- Unofficial transcripts (current students) – View and print unofficial transcripts from your Self-Service account.
- Official transcripts (all students) – Free of charge. Submit the Transcript Request Form by mail, fax, or email. Please fill the form in dark ink so that it is readable.
- Mail printed and completed form to:
Registrar’s Office
Paul Smith’s College
PO Box 265
Paul Smiths, NY 12970-0265
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- Fax printed and completed form to: (518) 327-6951
- Email completed form to: registrar@paulsmiths.edu. These options have been useful for submitting transcripts by email:
- The printed and completed form can be scanned using your smart phone with a free app like Adobe Scan and emailed to registrar@paulsmiths.edu.
- The pdf form can be filled and signed using your smart phone with a free app like Adobe Acrobat Reader and emailed to registrar@paulsmiths.edu.
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Staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
(518) 327-6300
Title IX
Sexual Misconduct: A guide for families
Isabella Lambert, Director of Compliance & Title IX Coordinator
(518) 327-6451
ilambert@paulsmiths.edu
To search job openings on campus for paid student employment jobs, students should login to Handshake.
Contact Information
Jesse Quonce, Human Resources Generalist
Shannon Portal, RN, BS
Director, Health Services
(518) 327-6349
sportal@healthservices.edu
Heather Allard
Student Wellness Coordinator/Clinic Manager
(518) 327-6319
healthservices@paulsmiths.edu
Contact Information
Rikelmy Williams, Director of Residence Life and Housing
Center for Academic & Career Success
(518) 327-6046
email: academic_success@paulsmiths.edu
Vanessa Case, M.S. Ed
(518) 327-6415
vcase@paulsmiths.edu
TRiO
Lydia Wright, Office Manager
Monica Buriello, Success Coach
Amanda Vincent, Director of TRiO
Watch & Learn
See more about Paul Smith’s College and our unique community and location, athletics and academic programs.
Supporting Your Student
Every student is a unique individual with their own needs, struggles, triumphs, and more. There’s no clear-cut answer, but we do have a few tips on great ways to best assist your student.
It is natural to want everything perfect and streamlined for your student, after all, they’re working hard at college! It is also tempting to desire to do things for them to ensure this is the case, but it is not recommended. When students run against friction, perhaps a roommate tiff, or struggling a bit in class, our Paul Smith’s College faculty and staff are prepared to support them and allow them to do so in a way that helps them grow.
You may find your student is nervous or unwilling to call or email about a struggle they are having. A great way to support them would not be to call for them, as this doesn’t help them grow, but instead help them learn accountability and still provide support by discussing what is happening, leading them to resources such as office email addresses, and supporting their decisions: even if these are not going in the timeline you may expect.
For example, it is very tempting to call on your students’ behalf when they are upset with their roommate. But, this can be a problem: your student didn’t learn or get to experience reaching out about their issue with the office(s) that can best assist them. They may also feel discouraged from doing so in the future, since it was done for them in the past.
Likewise, the experience of working through person-to-person conflict hasn’t been as effectively addressed, and the student hasn’t learned the valuable interpersonal communication skill that a variety of departments are working to help them learn. Allowing a student to develop their own sense of identity through working through struggles is a valuable skill that they will need in their everyday life as well as in their professional careers.
Not every situation is cut-and-dry or easy to work through. Sometimes, despite best efforts all around, students may continue to be reluctant to seek out support or helpful connections. This can be very frustrating for family and friends alike, but it is natural. There may be situations where your student is not seeking out assistance in a situation that may seem very simple to you, but for them, something is in the way of reaching out or doing it. Things like stress, nervousness, and many other factors can be at play in this dynamic and make tasks like reaching out about an issue not getting done.
In this moment, more than ever, it becomes even more tempting to reach out on behalf of the student to a resource on campus. But, again, this can be very problematic for a variety of reasons. While the temptation to “fix” an issue for your student may be growing and growing at this point, communicating with them is not necessarily the answer. Frequently, family members or friends will call on a student’s behalf on an issue, and will ask our department to “not tell the student (they) called.” This action often causes stress and may create a feeling of lack of confidence from family/friends by the student. It also may insight a bit of distrust in the student, and communication in a positive way may become more challenging.
Instead, we recommend staying positive and being patient with your student as they learn to support themselves. Try to talk to them about what is happening, though know they may not tell you everything. Stay positive: your support can do wonders! Even if your student is not super open about a topic that they’re struggling with, encourage them gently and lead them to resources that may help them.
It can seem like a daunting task for students to seek contact information for a helpful resource: consider talking with them about who or where they think they can find assistance on campus. Also, consider looking with them at the available online resources departments have created and the contact information for these relevant offices. Offering to practice what your student plans to discuss with a faculty or staff member, or offering to proofread an email, can help students recognize they have your support while also giving them the space to learn to try. Gently following up now and then can also encourage your student to continue to seek support both with those at the College and with you!
Not every issue is one that can be waited on, and some require direct action or support from family and friends, in addition to the diligence provided by our campus’ trained staff and faculty. If you are concerned for your student’s immediate well-being or safety (for example, concerns about self-harm, suicidal ideation, danger of harm, sexual assault, and similar), please immediately contact the Campus Safety Office. Their phone number is (518)-327-6300, and they are available 24/7. Our campus’s Campus Safety Officers are highly-trained, compassionate individuals who want to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone on our campus.
At times, your student may go without communicating with family and friends for a little while, or longer than you may be used to. This is usually just a natural response to becoming more independent and also being busy with school work, clubs, a job, and even just catching up on sleep. If you have not heard from your student in a significant length of time, or notice a sharp decrease in communication that is worrying or out of character, attempt to reach out to your student. This may also be a time to reach out to Campus Safety if you are very concerned.
There may come a time when your student has not reached out to those who could assist and support them on campus, and their studies may be hurting for it. We still encourage family and friends not to reach out on behalf of the student (unless it is an emergency), and encourage loved ones to remember that students are independent and the path of learning is ultimately theirs to walk.
Conversations that remain positive and supportive, rather than angry or accusatory, are helpful– especially in-person. Discussing goals, desired outcomes, and plans of action can help students and their loved ones work to figure out how to help the student succeed or decide if taking a break may be best. There’s no denying it: conversations like these can be tough to have sometimes. Loved ones and students are encouraged to write down their thoughts and communicate in person.
Additionally, communicating with the student’s adviser and/or those in the Academic and Career Success Center is advised: these friendly folks are here to help!
In essence, we recommend allowing your student to hold the reins of their experience and encourage family and friends to provide direct support as your student grows while at Paul Smith’s College. Allowing your student to guide their experience helps them develop a sense of independence, self-efficacy, accountability, and shape their identity.
The faculty, staff, administrators, and peers of your student are working to help them grow and succeed. Students may wobble, stumble, and even trip—but with your help, their hard work, and the care given to them by the College, they won’t fall!