Parent Advisory Council

The University of Kentucky’s Parent Advisory Council is a volunteer group of approximately 30 parents and family members of undergraduate students who wish to share feedback about the student and family experience and get more involved with the Wildcat community. Members are asked to commit to at least a 2-year term and give approximately 30 hours per year to the council. Council members will:

• Attend two virtual council meetings per semester (8 hours per year) where they will:
  • Give feedback about university programs 
  • Discuss issues of concern to family members 
  • Recommend content for publications and programming activities for students and families
• Attend one in-person Volunteer Summit per year, typically the Friday morning of Family Weekend (2 hours)
• Serve on either a virtual Service or Volunteer Engagement Committee (10 hours per year)
• Volunteer at Family Weekend or other campus events (10 hours per year)

Attend quarterly virtual meetings. Parent Advisory Council (PAC) members are expected to attend a quarterly virtual meetings (via Zoom) whereby members have the opportunity to get to know one another and learn more about university departments and services as well as provide feedback on any topic of interest or concern to them as UK family members. Parent Advisory Council members may be removed from the council without notification after missing 2 consecutive virtual meetings.

Join a committee. Parent Advisory Council members are expected to actively serve on a PAC committee for at least 10 hours per year. 

1. Volunteer Engagement Committee provides support to expanding and strengthening parent and volunteer efforts at UK.
   • Spring: Assist in the planning and execution of PAC virtual meetings and other learning opportunities.
   • Fall: Recruit and recognize Family Weekend volunteers; assist with planning and executing the annual volunteer breakfast during Family Weekend.
2. Service Engagement Committee provides support to students through fundraising and service efforts.
   • Spring: Support Circle of Love fundraising efforts.
   • Fall: Execute Family Weekend silent auction; organize and execute annual Circle of Love program.

Volunteer. Parent Advisory Council members are asked to volunteer for at least one major Family Weekend event and will have opportunities to volunteer at other events throughout the year. 

Communicate with campus partners. Parent Advisory Council members are expected to provide feedback to the Family and Civic Engagement staff concerning programs, publications, services, and any other aspects of institutional activity. 

Parent Advisory Council members are NOT required to give money to the University of Kentucky, though there are ways to be more involved with UK Philanthropy if that is desired.

The Parent Advisory Council consists of family members of full-time students who are in good standing at UK. In order to ensure continuity on the council, members are asked to make at least a two-year commitment. Members in good standing will have the option to renew their membership annually for as long as they have students enrolled at the University of Kentucky. Many of our members serve on the council for the majority of their UK student’s undergraduate career.

• On-campus meetings and volunteer opportunities are good excuses to visit your student. 
• Council members get to know university administrators and learn more about UK programs and services. They also enjoy the opportunity to get to know other UK family members. 
• Previous council members have expressed their satisfaction in knowing that they are supporting and assisting UK students and their families as well as staying involved in their student's education. 
• While it is a volunteer position, there are small tokens of appreciation in the form of free meals and UK swag. 

Applications to join the Parent Advisory Council open each October.

Applications will be reviewed by Family and Civic Engagement staff beginning in November; new members will be selected and notified in December. New council members will begin their term in January and will be expected to participate in virtual onboarding in January. 

Spouses/partners are welcome to join council members for volunteer opportunities throughout the year. However, if spouses/partners would like to attend council meetings and take advantage of tokens of appreciation offered throughout the year, they will need to complete an individual application and be accepted to the Parent Advisory Council. New members will only be accepted in December and will not be accepted in the middle of a council term.