Learning to Let Them Grow
Who is the Office of Family Engagement?
We support parents and family members in student success! Our goal is to educate and engage parents and families in becoming informed partners in your undergraduate student’s education, personal development, and success.
Office of Family Engagement
Phone: 301.314.8429
Email: terpfamily@umd.edu
Website
Hub Homepage
- The Office of Family Engagement provides Terp Family eConnection, a communications portal to access important news, reminders and receive personalized newsletters specific to you and your student
- You should start receiving their emails by July – if you haven’t yet, you can sign-up at terpfamily.campusesp.com
- Participate in one of the many volunteer opportunities offered by OFE
- Sign up to receive Maryland Today, UMD’s daily digital newspaper
- Follow official UMD accounts on social media
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 (commonly referred to as the "Buckley Amendment") is designed to protect the confidentiality of education records and to give students access to their records to assure the accuracy of their contents.
Important to remember:
- All student records kept by the university are private – this extends to transcripts, finances, counseling, health, and student conduct records
- Students have the option to waive their right to privacy and grant limited access to their family which includes access to
- Class schedules
- Grades
- Student account balance information
To request access, click here.
You should not have possession of your student’s University username and password. This is a violation of our technology use policy and that is not how we want our students starting their time at the university.
We encourage students and families to agree upon methods of communication before classes begin. Coming to an agreement and establishing expectations for communication fosters trust and mutual responsibility.
Emergency Response (available 24/7)
- University Police - 301.405.3333 (non-emergency: 301.405.3555)
- Counseling Center - 301.314.7651
- University Health Center - 301.314.8184 (mental health services: 301.314.8106) or health@umd.edu
Non-emergency Response
- Office of Family Engagement - 301.314.8429 or terpfamily@umd.edu
- Office of the Dean of Students - 301.314.8484 or deanofstudents@umd.edu
- Vice President for Student Affairs - 301.314.8430 or studentaffairs@umd.edu
- Family Warmline (therapist) - 301.314.7651
- Behavior Evaluation and Threat Assessment (BETA) Team - 301.314.2382 or use this online form
- CARE to Stop Violence - 301.314.2222 (crisis cell: 301. 741.3442) or uhc-care@umd.edu
- Department of Resident Life - 301.314.2100 or reslife@umd.edu
- Education Abroad - 301.314.7746 or educationabroad@umd.edu
- Office of Student Conduct - 301.314.8204 or studentconduct@umd.edu
- University Chaplains - 301-314-9866 or 301-314-9893 or chapel@umd.edu
For a full list of resources and contact information, please visit our Quick Reference Guide.

Share Your Love, Get Involved
- Send a care package
- Join Terp Family Hugs & High Fives: As the semester winds down and midterms or finals approach, Terp family members are invited to campus to share hugs, high-fives, fist bumps, and words of encouragement with hardworking students.
- Join the Parents Philanthropy Board or make your own donations to funds such as Terp Family Fund, Fostering Terp Success, Campus Pantry, and the Student Crisis Fund.
Quick Links
Sign up for eConnection
The Office of Family Engagement provides Terp Family eConnection, a communications portal to access important news, reminders and receive personalized newsletters specific to you and your student.
Check out the Terrapin Guide
Mailed out on August 1, this extensive guide reviews everything from student policies to student services to departments and their functions. Click to view the digital version.
Join or watch our webinar series!
The Terp Family Fundamentals webinar series is intended to help parents and families understand how they can best support their student(s) while they're at the University of Maryland. All presentations are recorded and made available on the Terp Family YouTube page.