Resources for Parents

Visiting Linfield

Everything a current or prospective parent needs to plan a trip to Linfield, including driving directions, campus maps and local attractions. We even provide a special parents’ calendar.

Supporting your student

We’d like to offer some perspective on a very broad question: “How can I best support my college student?” You may also want to check out our frequently asked questions to help your student find resources on campus.

Getting involved

As a parent, you can impact your student’s experience in many ways. Find out how to get involved on or off-campus.

Parent resource line

We are happy to assist parents as questions arise and will work with you to support your student’s development. If you or your student has a question, and you’re not sure who to contact at Linfield, please call 503-883-LPRL (5775).

Linfield University Family Weekend

Information will be available in early September.

For more information contact Parent Relations at 503-883-2607 or view the Parent Calendar.

Getting to Linfield

The McMinnville Campus of Linfield University is located on Highway 99 West, approximately 37 miles southwest of Portland in the heart of the Willamette Valley. If you require transportation from the Portland airport to Linfield, commercial van service is available from White Van Shuttle, (503) 774-9755; Island Coach, (888) 968-4083; VIP Airporter, (888) 743-3847; or Caravan Airport Transportation, (888) 743-3847 by appointment only.

Getting Back Home

At Orientation Weekend and the beginning and end of each semester, the student government (ASLU) provides occasional transportation between the airport and campus. Individual students should check the shuttle schedule and reserve a seat online.

Staying in McMinnville

If you need accommodations while visiting your student:

Hotels:

• Atticus Hotel: 375 NE Ford St, 503-472-1975
• Best Western: 2035 S Hwy 99W, 503-472-4900
• Comfort Inn & Suites: 2520 SE Stratus Ave., 503-472-1700
• McMinnville Inn: 381 NE Hwy 99W, 503-472-5187
• McMenamins Hotel Oregon: 310 NE Evans St, 503-472-8427
• Motel 6: 2065 S Hwy 99W, 503-472-9493
• Red Lion Inn & Suites: 2535 NE Cumulus Ave., 503-472-1500

Bed and Breakfast:

• Douglas on Third: 703 NE Third St, 503-687-3234
• Martha's Vineyard West: 835 SE Villard St, 503-472-1483
• La Rambla Loft: 238 NE Third St, 503-472-7306
• Third Street Flats: 219 NE Cowls St, 503-857-6248
• A Tuscan Estate: 809 NE Evans, 503-434-9016
• Twisted Willow Inn: 509 NE 9th St, 503-472-5787
• Wine Country Farm: 6855 Breyman Orchard Rd., Dayton, 503-864-3446
• Yamhill Vineyards Bed & Breakfast: 7950 NE Cooper Lane, Yamhill, 503-662-3840
• Youngberg Hill: 10660 SW Youngberg Hill Rd., 503-472-2727
• Victorian on 10th: 206 NE 10th St, 971-261-9919

Moving in for a New Student

First, new students need to check in at the Riley Campus Center. After check-in, students will go to their Residence Hall and meet their Resident Advisor. Residences will be open for new students to move in after checking in on Thursday, August 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

CatNet Computer and Telephone Connections

All student residential halls, suburbs (apartments), academic classrooms and public areas have wireless network access available. In order to use your computers or other technology, students must first connect to the Linfield Network upon their arrival. For more information, please go to: inside.linfield.edu/its.

All residence halls and suburbs (apartments) have landline phone jacks. Because of the very low use of these jacks starting fall semester, these phone jacks will be inactive. Integrated Technology Services (ITS) will activate a phone jack in a residence hall or suburb by request. To do so, please send an email to support@linfield.edu with your name, residence hall or suburb and room number with a brief description of why you would like the phone jack activated.

Parking

For moving-in purposes, you’ll want to park as close as you can to your student’s hall. Volunteers from the Linfield University fraternities and sororities will help you move your student’s belongings into their room. Once moved in, it would be very helpful if you would move your car so that others can move in easily.

Electrical Hook-ups

Extension cords may come in handy for some items. Please only use approved heavy duty power strips and be careful not to overload circuits.

Shopping

There may be some time in the schedule on Thursday for you to pick up last minute items at a local store. Most of Friday is booked for other orientation activities. Your student will certainly have some time to shop later in the week, and of course many students receive deliveries from Amazon or other online retailers.

Shipping Items to Your Student

If you ship trunks and boxes, they should be addressed to the student in care of Linfield University 190 SW Lakamas Lane, McMinnville, OR 97128, not to the student’s residence hall. Please label multiple boxes separately as “Box 1 of 3, Box 2 of 3, etc.” Shipped materials may be picked up by the addressee at Mail Services at Withnell Commons. They will need to show their student ID. Once the student has moved into their residence all packages should be addressed directly to them at their unit number.

McMinnville Area Restaurants

Students really appreciate the opportunity to get away from campus for a meal. View Visit McMinnville's list of restaurants for options. For some restaurants (and some weekends such as Homecoming and Fall Family Weekend) reservations are recommended. For more information on McMinnville, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 503-472-6196 or Visit McMinnville at 503-857-0182.

Banking at Home or in McMinnville

Students can open checking accounts in either their home towns or in McMinnville. Out-of-state students may find it beneficial to open checking accounts in McMinnville for easier negotiation of their checks. Some banks will have representatives on campus on Orientation Saturday to assist students who want to establish accounts.

McMinnville banks include:

Chase Bank

1675 N HWY 99W
(503) 472-9505

Citizens Bank

455 NE Baker St
(503) 474-9441

Columbia Bank

723 NE Baker St
(503) 472-0534

First Federal Savings & Loan

118 NE Third St
(503) 472-6171

Key Bank

342 NE Third St
(503) 472-2161

OnPoint Community Credit Union

2430 NE McDonald Lane
503-472-0377

U.S Bank (main branch)

335 NE Third St
(503) 472-5151

US Bank (Albertson’s branch)

615 SW Keck Dr
(503) 434-6640

Wells Fargo Bank

1335 NE 13th St
(503) 474-3501

An ATM is located on campus in Riley Campus Center and accommodates PLUS, CIRRUS, and THE EXCHANGE cards, as well as VISA, MASTERCARD, and EXPRESS CASH CARDS.

Calendar

View the Academic Calendars

About Linfield’s Drug and Alcohol Policy

Linfield’s alcohol policy, like Oregon State Law, prohibits the consumption of alcohol by anyone under 21 years of age. Alcohol is not permitted at all in public areas on the campus (including apartment balconies). While educational sanctions may follow violations of the alcohol policy, the university is intent on assisting those who have (or have potential for) a drinking problem. Counseling help can be obtained in the Counseling Office located in Walker Hall, Room 103.

As many of you are aware, in 2014 Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 91. Key provisions of Measure 91 allow persons 21 and over to grow and personally possess certain amounts of recreational marijuana under state law. Measure 91 went into effect on July 1, 2015. As a parent you may ask “What will change on campus?”

The answer is that essentially nothing will change. The use and possession of marijuana will continue to be prohibited on campus, at University-sponsored events, in University housing, and in the University workplace. It is important for all members of our community to understand that federal law has not changed. Linfield University must adhere to federal law, or we would put financial aid and other federal funding at risk.

Linfield University is a drug-free workplace. Any member of the University community who uses, is under the influence of, manufactures, possesses, has under his/her control, sells, furnishes, or facilitates the use of a narcotic or dangerous drug or drug paraphernalia or misuses prescription medication, is subject to disciplinary action up to and possibly including separation from the University. Because drug use is a hindrance to success in college, the college will treat any violation of any college policy, state or local drug laws on or off campus by students as a violation of the college drug policy. McMinnville Police Department may be contacted at the University’s discretion.

For additional student policies, please see the Guide to Living at Linfield and the Student Handbook.

Fraternity and Sorority Life

Linfield has four sororities and three fraternities. The sororities do not have houses, but rather, meeting rooms in the basement of Miller Hall. The fraternities each have houses near campus. There will be a “New Member Recruitment Week” early in spring semester for students interested in finding out more about Linfield’s sororities and fraternities. One can participate in New Member Recruitment without choosing to join. For students choosing to join a fraternity or sorority, there is usually a fee for initiation and dues which they will need to pay sometime during spring semester. After that time, fraternity or sorority charges may appear on the student’s account. These charges are applied to the account only after the student has signed a billing slip authorizing the charge to be made. This charge is typically for dues, local fees, and, in the case of fraternities, housing charges. Men joining fraternities may move to the fraternity house after one full semester in college housing. These housing charges will be added to the student account.

Any questions about the sororities or fraternities should be addressed to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at fsl@linfield.edu. You may also find out more information on the internet at linfield.edu/fsl.

Sororities

• Phi Sigma Sigma
• Alpha Phi
• Zeta Tau Alpha
• Sigma Kappa Phi

Fraternities

• Pi Kappa Alpha
• Delta Psi Delta
• Theta Chi

Common Questions

Must a student be in campus housing?

Linfield’s mission with regard to housing is to create living/learning communities which provide challenging opportunities for the development of the whole person. The university expects students to understand and respect community standards and values. The university envisions a safe environment which honors and appreciates the similarities and differences of those living in campus housing. Linfield is a residential university and has a residency requirement for its students. We believe the greatest student development occurs for those students involved in campus life and in frequent contact with others on campus. In general, students must be in campus housing unless they live at home, within 20 miles of campus, until they are in their 4th year of attendance, are 21 years old, or are married.

Must a student be on the meal plan?

All students who live in a residence hall are required to be on a meal plan. First- and second-year students who live in a fraternity are also required to be on a meal plan. What if a student has a special diet or health concern related to diet? Our food service provider, Sodexo, is obligated by contract to meet the dietary needs of our students. Sodexo frequently serves many students for whom special care and provisions are needed. Students should contact the Food Services Manager, Javier Lopez, jlopez4@linfield.edu.

How will I know if our student is having difficulty?

This requires good communication between you and your student. If your student is over 18, by federal law, the university cannot inform you without his or her permission about academic performance, disciplinary matters, or their general progress. By law, institutions may not disclose information about students, even to parents, without written permission from the student.

What if my student has a problem?

We would like to know about that, of course. While we would welcome calls from parents at any time, we highly recommend that you encourage your student to speak with the appropriate office first regarding his or her concern. This is an important part of the student development process.

How is my student’s academic schedule developed?

New students will meet with their faculty academic advisor and their peer advisor during the Orientation period. Both new and continuing students should discuss their academic plans with their faculty advisor, who must sign their registration cards. Good academic schedules contain required courses, courses in a potential major, and elective courses.

Ten Tips for Parenting a College Student

1. Have a chat now with your student. Have him or her articulate why he or she wants to go to college. Have them talk about why they chose Linfield. Later, should difficulties arise, these discussions can be recounted.
2. Ask your student to make some decisions now, before they arrive on campus, about how he or she will deal with alcohol, sexual relations, and freedom of time. Too often, students have not given sufficient forethought to these items – and so make regrettable, on-the-spot decisions.
3. Keep in communication with your student, but resist the urge for constant contact. Let them lead in making connections. Remember you may be able to read the Linfield Review, the college newspaper online, and can then ask your student about their involvement in campus life and available opportunities.
4. Let your student take the lead in choosing a major, course of study, and individual courses. Remember that electives and general education are important elements in the college curriculum. Do not over-emphasize career-related study.
5. The best collegiate experiences strike a balance between academic learning and experiential opportunities. Praise your student for seeking and finding co-curricular activities that enhance their college experience.
6. There is a high probability your student will encounter some difficulty. It may be homesickness, a roommate issue, a registration problem . . . whatever. Listen intently, be supportive, but encourage them to try to solve the problem on their own before you intervene.
7. Linfield University has a wonderful array of resources. Encourage your student to use them. These include a health center, exercise room, counseling staff, residence life staff, Safe personnel, and academic advisors.
8. Do visit, but not too often, and do not promote frequent visits home. Weekends are a good time for your student to discover opportunities at the school, to bond with others, and even to study.
9. When you do visit, take your student (and a friend or two) out to dinner. If you can’t visit, upon occasion, send small “care” packages.
10. Relax. Enjoy the experience. From time to time, it can even be fun.

Helping Parents Stay Connected

E-Cat and Linfield Family e-newsletter

E-Cat, a monthly e-newsletter, updates alumni, parents and friends about Linfield news and activities. Linfield Family is sent quarterly and includes valuable information about campus events, student and faculty achievements, and important dates and deadlines, as well as interactive parent surveys. To receive the e-newsletters, send an email to parents@linfield.edu.

Parent resource line

We are happy to assist parents as questions arise and will work with you to support your student’s development. If you or your student has a question, and you’re not sure who to contact at Linfield, please call 503-883-LPRL (5775).

Parents email account

Have a question? Need an answer? Send an email to this address created specifically for
you: parents@linfield.edu

Parents website

Cited by Linfield parents as their most frequently used communication tool, the Linfield website contains a wealth of information. More information is available at the links in the sidebar or use the search bar in the menu.

The Parents Council

The Parents Council partners with key college staff to support your student’s “Linfield experience” by providing advice and assistance with a number of activities, including: parent-focused communications and events, student recruiting, student and alumni career mentoring, and fundraising for the Parents Fund. The Parents Council is led by the Parents Council Leadership Team. To get involved, email Debbie Harmon Ferry at dharmon@linfield.edu.