The UCLA family is a global community which includes proud Bruin parents and family members, many of whom serve as university ambassadors on the UCLA Parents’ Council. As the governing body of UCLA Parent and Family Programs, the Parents’ Council is dedicated to the engagement, support and representation of Bruin families everywhere.

Each academic year new members are selected for their level of commitment and desire to create a broad network. Ranging from 145-165 members, the council is made up of a diverse group of passionate parents and family members who represent UCLA households around the world. Living as far away as India and South Korea, council members build regional communities and connect with Bruin families where they live.

To achieve their mission the Parents’ Council is geared towards several key field committees. The Future Bruin Outreach committee, for example, matches council members with prospective Bruin families to share why UCLA would be a terrific fit for them. The committee provides these students and family members with useful information and unwavering support to make UCLA feel like their home away from home. According to council member Lianne Kowiak, “Interacting with other Bruin parents makes you really feel part of the UCLA family because you have a common bond, common interests and common goals.”

The Parents’ Council also helps with resource allocation for campus and family programs. Each quarter the council designates funds for a care-package program to support non-traditional students, such as veterans, students with children and former foster youth. “These packages contain items like tea and snack bars that really help fuel students through the tough finals season,” says Alex Brown, senior director of the UCLA Parent and Family Programs. Brown leads a small team of two professional staff and several student staff, all dedicated to the inclusion and support of UCLA families.

In 2016, council members participated in more than 100 events both on and off campus and around the world. They hosted coffee socials, staffed move-in weekend and Bruin Family Weekend, welcome receptions and summer orientations, Bruin Bound and Bruin Day events, to name a few. Brown says, “Parent involvement is integral to the success of our students. We couldn’t do this work without the help of our parent volunteers.”    

The Parents’ Council is open to all Bruin parents and adult family members. In recent years they have seen an upswing in alumni, who are now Bruin parents themselves, wanting to serve on the council and get involved with their university. Council member and mother of two third-year students, Julie King ’92 says, “I truly enjoy giving back to the university but I also want to become a more active alumna and re-engage as a Bruin.”

The group provides a sense of home and family for both council members and the families they serve. Summing up the heart of the organization, King described her most rewarding experience during UCLA Bruin Day, a day for thousands of prospective Bruins to come learn about the campus: “I really enjoy sharing my love for the university, talking with the different families and hearing their stories. When they realize you’re another parent just like them, who share in their experiences and mutual admiration for this amazing university - it’s just wonderful.”

Want to learn more about the Parents’ Council or how to get involved? Visit the website or contact the office of Parent and Family Programs at parentinvolvement@support.ucla.edu.

Applications for the 2017-18 Parents’ Council launch on April 15, so parents and guardians mark your calendars.