Florida International University is set to launch an all-new, interactive platform this month to help students’ families engage with the university and stay connected to campus life: The Panther Family Hub.
Powered by CampusESP, this fully online platform allows families to create a personalized portal, choose how frequently they wish to be communicated with, and translate content to the language of their preference. Through the Hub, users can tailor the content they receive by following various news feeds and by joining communities based on their personal interests as well as their students’ academic affinity.
"Our Panther families provide invaluable support to our students throughout their journeys at FIU. As your dedicated partner in this important effort, we are thrilled to offer this exciting new platform for families to engage with each other and stay connected to life at FIU," said Carol Galladian, Ph.D., director of FIU Orientation and Family Programs.
There are a variety of communities to join, with more to come soon. Users will be added to communities based on the information they provide in the sign-up survey, and they have the option to join others once they set up their portal. Communities are based on students’ academic year (first-year student, graduating senior, incoming transfer student, etc.), as well as their school/college, involvement in various campus activities such as Greek life or athletics. Other communities include families who are interested in attending on-campus events, families of first-generation college students, and more.
By logging in to the Hub, users can peruse recent news updates and upcoming opportunities on their portal feeds. They will also receive periodic email newsletters rounding up the top recent posts from the communities they’ve joined. Additionally, families will be notified in the portal when FIU sends urgent university-wide messages, such as weather-related closures.
The portal also notifies users of important dates and deadlines from the academic calendar and helps them explore the wealth of student support services available across campus, including financials, enrollment, advising, scholarships, health and wellness, disability resources, and much more.
As an added bonus, Hub users can opt-in to receive text message alerts about upcoming family events, special opportunities, and important university updates.
Those currently subscribed to the FIU Family monthly newsletter will receive their official invitation to join The Panther Family Hub via email next week. Families of new and incoming students will receive information on how to join during their students’ orientation session as well as via email later this summer. The Orientation and Family Programs team looks forward to connecting with you soon!