Up for Discussion: Why didn't someone call me?

If your student runs into trouble at school -- fails a class, cheats on a final, gets caught drinking alcohol in the dorms -- don't expect to hear about it from campus officials. On the other hand, if there is a serious concern about the health and safety of a student, parents might be notified.

"The decision to notify a parent is made on a case-by-case basis when a serious situation comes to our attention," says Jeanne Wilson, director of Student Judicial Affairs.

She explains that under university policy and federal and state law, students have privacy rights. There is no general exception for notifying parents unless the student has given written consent, or there is a serious concern about the health and welfare of the student.

Alcohol poisoning and attempted suicide

Exceptions may include transportation to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. But campus officials can only make that call if they know about the incident. If the situation doesn't come to the attention of the campus for several days, and a student is no longer in immediate danger, parents may not be contacted.

In any case, however, the student must meet with Student Judicial Affairs and with the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program (ADAPT) on campus. He or she is strongly encouraged and given an opportunity to call his or her parents -- before campus officials do so.

Campus officials will usually contact parents if a student threatens or attempts suicide, Wilson says. Or, if a student is removed from residence halls for misconduct and the student has nowhere to go, parents may also be notified.

Foster open communication

With a freshman daughter at another university, Wilson understands the frustrations that some parents may have by not knowing about possible problems their student may experience.

"We encourage parents to have an open relationship with their child so they can talk about issues, even those that may not make you happy," Wilson says. "It's better for the parents to know than to have their student struggle alone."

If parents are worried because they haven't heard from their student in a long time, they can contact Student Judicial Affairs or Student Housing to do a welfare check. Campus police would check in with the student if he or she lives on campus, and city police would do a check if the student lives in the surrounding community.