Dear Parents,

An unusual winter has given way to a beautiful green spring! Your student may be thinking about final exams, summer school, or even graduation. Below you'll find helpful information on these, as well as important dates for next year.

As this year draws to a close, be sure to celebrate your students' accomplishments! Thank you for being an essential part of your student's support network; your dedication and determination help your student achieve excellence in thought, generosity in service, beauty in expression and faith in God here at WWU.


Have a wonderful summer!

Claudia Santellano
Director for Alumni and Parent Relations

Tips and FAQs
created for parents like you.

Surprise your student!

Our "Surprise Your Student” program offers the opportunity to send your student cupcakes or care packages delivered directly to their door.  Cupcakes come from "Frosted," Walla Walla's very own cupcake shop. The care packages hold an assortment of fun, creative, and tasty treats and they can be personalized with several different themes:  "Birthday,” "Thinking of You,” "Get Well," and "Missing You.”  Through this program, you can also order gift cards to local merchants and balloon bouquets. Place your order and surprise your student today!

Graduation 2019—June 16, 8:30 a.m.

In just a few weeks, we will celebrate with the Class of 2019 as they receive their hard-earned diplomas—330 students will receive bachelor's degrees and 117 students will receive master's degrees.

Commencement starts at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 16. Addressing the Class of 2019 will be Karl Kaffner, a 1985 WWU graduate who is senior pastor of the Kettering Seventh-day Adventist Church and the father of a graduating senior. Click here for graduation weekend details, including details about watching online >

Order leis for your graduate
The University Bookstore is now accepting orders for leis to be delivered at Commencement on Sunday morning. Flowers can be picked up at the bookstore booth on Centennial Green before graduation begins. We strongly recommend you order in advance; however, some leis may be available for sale Sunday morning, first come first serve. To place your order, call the University Bookstore at (509) 527-2441. 

Encourage your graduate to stay connected with WWU
Here are six easy ways they can do that:

• Contact Information Updates — New address, new job or name change to share? Simply complete an online Alumni Contact Update Form.
• Alumni Currents e-newsletter — Learn about alumni events, campus news, and alumni activities and accomplishments. Alumni Currents is emailed three times a year.
• LinkedIn — Network with alumni professionals through our LinkedIn group by joining the Walla Walla University Alumni group. 
• Facebook — Socialize and keep in touch online with fellow alumni through our Facebook group. Take a minute to join the Walla Walla University Alumni group.
• Instagram — Follow and tag @wallawallauniversityalumni to stay connected with the university and other alumni, one post at a time.
• Westwind magazine — From alumni profiles to campus news to special feature articles, Westwind is a full-color, 32-page, magazine mailed to alumni three times a year.

Know anyone on these Dean's Lists?

To be included in one of the two Dean's Lists, a student must have taken a minimum of 15 credits of graded work A-F, with a GPA of 3.5 - 3.749 for the Dean's List, and 3.75 - 4.0 for the Dean's List of Distinguished Students. We are proud of these students' achievements, and recognize them here in a special way.

Summer at WWU: Classes, housing, finances

WWU offers a number of summer academic options. Students can take classes in a number of disciplines at one of our campuses or online. The eight-week summer session starts June 24 and ends August 16. Click here to learn more about summer session.

Summer classes and financial clearance 
Will your student take any summer classes? If they will take six or more credits and get financial aid, they should submit a summer aid request form. Financial clearance for summer quarter opens June 5, with a deadline of 4 p.m. on June 24. 

Summer online classes 
WWU will offer more than 40 online classes this summer. You can look at the summer schedule and click the box for “Online Only” courses. Regular tuition rates apply to online courses. Many of these classes meet the General Studies requirements (coded “GS”).

Financial aid awards and payment plans 
If your student applied for financial aid for 2019-20, they will be sent a financial aid award letter and the payment plan. Make sure they share that information with you if you’ll be helping with their finances. Student Financial Services sends out award notices within about a week of receiving all required information. Your student’s “To Do” list on myWWU will show any missing items. 

Summer housing 
Is your student planning on renting from WWU this summer, but not taking classes? Students will need to meet four criteria: 1) Their student account needs to be paid; 2) They must be enrolled in classes for fall quarter; 3) If they get financial aid, they need to have financial aid awarded for fall quarter; and 4) They need to pay for the summer rent up front, or if they’re working on campus, they need to sign up for at least a 75 percent payroll deduction. For exceptions to these criteria, talk to a financial counselor in Student Financial Services.

Camp meetings and Sweets game

Headed to camp meeting? You'll find WWU representatives at several Pacific Northwest camp meetings (see link below for the list). Stop by and visit with us at our booths or events!

Each year alumni and friends gather for a Walla Walla Sweets Baseball game and alumni evening at Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla. We cheer on our team and enjoy connecting with alumni and friends from around the valley. As a parent of a WWU student, you are part of our WWU family and invited to attend this event! For more information visit wallawalla.edu/sweets.

Family Weekends: Save the dates now!

Make plans now to join us for one of the two Family Weekends offered in the fall:

• College Place Campus, October 25 - 27: Enjoy class visits on Friday morning; Friday afternoon ice cream; Student Missions Welcome Back Vespers and Apple Fest Friday evening; and Sabbath church services followed by lunch with WWU Administration. The weekend concludes with Evensong as well as a talent program.
• Portland Campus, November 9: Worship together Sabbath morning, enjoy Sabbath lunch with WWU Administration, then celebrate with junior nursing students at the Nurses' Dedication Ceremony and Reception.

Supportive parents: Get involved!

Visiting your student?

Local shuttle service from Pasco airport: The Grape Line shuttle runs seven days a week several times a day between Walla Walla and Pasco. Costs varies depending on the place of departure and the destination. Find more information or to make an online reservation >

Reserve a room: There are three guest rooms available on campus for rent. The fee for these rooms is $60/night plus tax. Arrange to stay in one of these rooms or to learn about other area lodging options >

Camper/RV accommodations available: Camper/RV parking is available behind Sittner Hall, the men’s residence hall. Power, water, and sewage hook-ups are included in the $10 nightly fee. First come first served. Call Sittner front desk at (509) 527-2111 for details.

Quick resources for parents