When UBC student callers contact parents on behalf of the annual Parents Appeal to support the UBC Library Collection Enrichment Fund, they often find that parents are keen to talk to them about student life at UBC.
Parents Appeal Co-ordinator Jennifer Druce said the students serve as a valuable resource for parents.
"The students spend a lot of time chatting with the parents and answering questions about campus life and the university in general," she said.
"Many of the parents have a host of questions about residence life, classes, the library and what SUB (the Student Union Building) is. There's no question our student callers give parents insight into the university that they wouldn't necessarily get from their own kids. The contact seems to help build their sense of belonging to the university community as well."
Last year, parents of UBC students contacted by student callers gave the Library a much appreciated boost in the form of more than $50,000 in donations to the enrichment fund. The fund helps the library buy new books.
Since the Parents Appeal, part of UBC's Annual Fund campaign, began in 1993, donors to the program have more than doubled to 549 last year. The total raised for UBC's Library has reached more than $150,000, including $50,000 raised so far this year.