After the stress of final exams builds and subsides, many students will return home for the holidays to family traditions, end-of-semester grade reports and parental inquiries into their college careers.
Parents of college students today want more involvement in their children's education than parents of previous generations, according to Jim Boyle, president of College Parents of America, an organization which provides information and services to parents.
\When I went to college in the 1970s, my parents basically said 'try to call us on weekends, we'll see you at Thanksgiving,'"" Boyle said. ""Today's parents don't just say goodbye at the front gate of the university.""
UW-Madison does not have a central resource for parents, according to Associate Dean of Students Lori Berquam. However, parents can contact a variety of campus resources regarding concerns about their students. Berquam said the Dean of Students office usually advises parents to direct their students toward campus services and have students handle issues themselves.
Some parents become frustrated at a lack of information available to them, according to Berquam. A university cannot legally release grades or other non-directory information to parents under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
""I think we hear quite often that parents are concerned they're maybe paying the tuition bills, but they don't get to learn of how their students are doing grade-wise,"" Berquam said. ""[FERPA] really is to protect students so that once they turn 18 they're considered adults.""
Dan Chavas, a UW-Madison freshman, said his parents, who pay his tuition, typically check in with him weekly and will want to know his semester grades.
Dan's father, Jean-Paul Chavas, said he tries to support his son as an adult.
""I try to guide my children as they go through life, in a sense, and as they go through the university as well,"" Jean-Paul said.
Boyle said administrators should recognize parents as partners in a student's education.
""The notion that a family just simply hands over their child for a period of four years and says to a school, 'OK, you take care of it, we'll go away,' just isn't realistic,"" Boyle said.
