Policies create obstacles as parents draw closer to their children at school

Most high school seniors cannot wait for the day that they can pack up their belongings, leave childhood behind and arrive at their new home for the next four years: college.

Despite red tape from increasingly strict government regulations which make students' records harder to access, both Tufts administration and students alike try to keep parents in the loop.

Tufts says that parents are offered the opportunity to attend campus tours, orientation programs and are welcomed to contact the Deans, professors, and counseling centers at any time.

Despite the growth in parental participation in college life, both the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) have continued to spark debate between students, parents, and university officials.

The HIPAA, created in 1996, makes students' health records confidential and requires students to sign a permission of release before their record can be released to their parents and University officials. Only insurance companies and authorized medical professionals may have access to those records.

At the Tufts Counseling Center, parents with concerns or questions can receive consultation and education over the phone, staff psychologist John Rosario-Perez said.

"Parents should be supportive and remain interested in their children's lives. Keeping communication open and encouraging your children is important," Rosario-Perez said.

Although the Counseling Center at Tufts does not have any specific programs aimed at parents, several of the Center's staff members make themselves available to greet parents at the various culture houses during orientation. The students who visit the Center about parental problems tend to voice complaints about parents becoming too over-protective while they are away at college.

"Most of the students who come to the Counseling Center are protective of their own privacy -- they're motivated and independent people. The most common cases are about general adolescence, because these are students who value their independence," Rosario-Perez said.

Thanks to online campus newsletters, e-mails from Deans and professors, parents' weekends, and college counseling centers, parents have gained more access and insight to their children's college lives than ever before.

According to the government's education website, FERPA states that, "generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record."

Records, however, can be released without consent if the student is transferring, if it is needed for financial aid purposes, or if there is a matter of judicial concern.

Elena Lozovsky, whose son Ilya is a sophomore at Tufts, is not a fan of the FERPA. She feels that she should have the right to access her son's records since she is the one who pays for her son's college education.

Lozovsky said she has been satisfied with the amount of information she receives from the University that she considers important and relevant.

Students have expressed mixed emotions regarding increased parental knowledge about their college lives. "[My parents] don't bother asking, because if I don't [complain], then I'm doing well. If I tell them about a grade, it's either because I did awesome or [badly]. So, they'll hear about it one way or the other," senior Aaron Weinstein said.

Sophomore Nathan Papazian, son of Director of Administrative Computing Richard Papazian, said, "[my parents] don't ask, but I tell them if I do well."

"I don't think it's a huge problem. As long as John isn't on severe academic probation, I have no reason to be concerned. Plus, I'm sure he would let me know if something was going badly," parent Janet Pettito said. Pettito's son Jon is a sophomore at Boston University

At a school like Boston University, which has heightened security measurements and enforces more strict rules than suburban and rural campuses, parents are continually kept alert about crime, news, special guests, and program developments, Pettito said.

"Back in the 1970s when I was in college, parents were never as interested or involved in what was happening around campus as they are today," she explained. "They basically told us 'have a good time, don't forget to write, and see you at Thanksgiving,'"

She said that she receives the same updates as her son about changes to his program, letting her track his requirement needs and study abroad options. "It's exceedingly helpful," Pettito said.