FloridaLisa Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Dd and ds go to a school where there has been a rash of attacks on girls on campus. It was well known in the media and among friends before I got my first email from the university. I've had two emails now, but the serious response and reassurance that the school had taken steps to raise safety and awareness was a little late in coming. How is it being handled by the colleges where your dc are attending? Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I don't think my kids' colleges actually ever asked for my email. I am pretty sure the only emails we ever got were from the alumni associations looking for donations, lol. I think all three schools had active web sites and Facebook pages. I remember looking at the Facebook pictures a few years ago when the wildfires were getting near the air force academy when ds22 was there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttichen Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 There was a meningitis outbreak at my kids' school, and we got pretty frequent emails about the situation, the plan for immunization (it's the B strain which kids aren't routinely immunized against), and so on. So I guess I've been happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I have no idea, since DD has yet to start (quarter system). It is not something that is on my radar - the main issue is that they inform the students. As a parent, I am several hundred miles away and not quite sure what purpose it would serve to send emails to me instead of my kid. I assume that her college will have some kind of news website, like ours does, where I could go and find information should I be concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 I have no idea, since DD has yet to start (quarter system). It is not something that is on my radar - the main issue is that they inform the students. As a parent, I am several hundred miles away and not quite sure what purpose it would serve to send emails to me instead of my kid. I assume that her college will have some kind of news website, like ours does, where I could go and find information should I be concerned. I agree and I've been pretty happy with the text alert systems as my kids have told me about them. But these attacks (a series over several days) were all over the news (locally) so parents needed to know what steps the university was taking. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I follow several of the university's Twitter groups and stay informed that way. If there is any kind of parent text/e-mail notification system we haven't been able to find it. I'm kind of with Regentrude on this -- as long as they keep the students well-informed, then I'm okay with getting my info via other means (from DS, or from Twitter or news reports). Since DS is legally an adult, and since I'm sure many students are paying their own way, it never occurred to me the university was under any obligation to formally notify parents of anything. After all, all their other correspondence is with DS, not us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 The parent notification system we use is my boys. ;) When the tornadoes blew through oldest's school right before finals, the school sent a couple of e-mails that seemed to be "real time" as they were figuring out what to do and to let us know all students (and the campus) were safe. When there are "incidents" that are potentially serious and ongoing on or near campus, middle son's school notifies us. I think we've gotten two of them - both resolved with no problems (we get notification that all is clear too). They also notified us after a freshman student had died, but we'd already heard about that from middle son (we were actually visiting him when it happened). I have no idea what youngest son's school will do. It's not one of my big concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 We are registered to receive automated phone calls. Recent phone calls: water was out to one building on campus (planned construction), a/c was out to one section of dorms at move-in (construction oopsie), a robbery occurred at the edge of campus (students were told to remain where they were for a period of time---it was like 10:30pm). We are also registered for the daily(ish) parents' email of all the news from campus. Sometimes it will contain a link to police activity (thefts, mainly) but mostly it's for announcements of awards by students and faculty, of upcoming events, and of sports news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 My son is on an urban campus surrounded by not so nice neighborhoods. Things happen. My son gets text messages from the univeristy. I don't. During the big ice debacle last year, there were Facebook updates. Some dining halls were closed. Student health was inaccessible. Students were sent texts to check the university's website about operational stuff and that classes were cancelled. But again, it was students, not parents being informed. I'm operating under the assumption that my son is an adult and, while I'm not several hundred miles away, we leave him be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I'd be surprised if Calvin's college had a parent notification system. We have been advised that students are adults (and we have had to sign a waiver because Calvin doesn't turn 18 for three months after he goes to university) so I suspect that we will hear nothing from the college. Precisely because students are responsible adults, we will not seek contact with your parents or family without your consent. This is in accordance both with the University’s Confidentiality Guidelines and the requirements of the Data Protection Act. If a parent contacts us with a problem, very often they ask us not to talk to you about the problem. As we make clear to parents, we do not accept that sort of relationship: our responsibility is to you. For example, if a parent contacts us to say you are unusually anxious and upset, we will listen courteously but give no information to them. If we decide that their concerns are serious enough to warrant it, we will attempt to talk to you and see how you are. If you are not in danger of harming yourself or breaking the law, and you do not wish to seek any extra help with any problem, then the matter will rest there. You have a right to privacy and to governing your own affairs. In [college name], we realise that parents will wish to take an active interest in the education of their sons and daughters; and that parental involvement has been part of that success which has brought students to [college name]. But the College is never in loco parentis. Students here are legally responsible adults and will be treated as such. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I should add that we live within walking distance of the campus. Incidents on campus can directly affect us, even if it's just bad traffic. I might not let dd14 walk from ballet to another part of town in the evening if I knew something was happening/had happened. Of course I treat my two college kids like adults. I was just offering what options are available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 It is not something that is on my radar - the main issue is that they inform the students. I"m glad my dd's college sends info emails to parents. An upperclassman committed suicide on campus two days before classes started. Since dd knows many of the upperclassmen, we texted her IMMEDIATELY after we found out, before the name was released, and asked her to text us as soon as the name was released. We wanted to be able to support her if it was someone she knew -- and I think our taking the initiative on this would have been HUGE if she did know the person. (Thankfully she didn't.) Even though we live in the town where the college is, without the email we would not have found out about the incident for at elast a day or two. If something is really wrong, a student may be surrounded by panicked other students, and this may make it harder to access parental support. As a parent, being in the loop and being able to take the initiative in the case of a disaster of whatever kind could be very important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 If something is really wrong, a student may be surrounded by panicked other students, and this may make it harder to access parental support. As a parent, being in the loop and being able to take the initiative in the case of a disaster of whatever kind could be very important. I can see the impulse to help, of course. But what if the 18yo were working in a shop - would you expect to receive emails from the shop management? How about if they were in the military - emails from command? I very much hope that my boys will keep us informed, but I don't expect to hear from the college. ETA: what kind of information did the previous generation of parents expect in the US? I know my parents didn't expect to hear anything in the 1980s in the UK - and I rarely phoned, I'm afraid. Is it the ease of texts and emails that has conditioned people to expect information? L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I cannot think of too many situations in which I think the university would need to notify parents. Working at a university, I get a number of "emergency" notifications like: "the electricity is out in Building XYZ," or "there is a traffic accident at the north entrance of the campus; avoid that intersection." I would not want to receive these from DDs campus, and if I did, I would not see how the information is useful or relevant to me. Many emergency announcements are simply, "university personnel are working hard to resolve this situation and, as always, your student's safety is our most important concern. Be aware of your surrounding and be diligent about your safety..." I would rather the univeristy spend time dealing with any situation than providing me useless rhetoric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I know I was happy that oldest's college notified us shortly after the tornadoes went through (the REALLY bad ones in April 2011) that the college was fine and all students were fine. Some professor's houses were damaged or destroyed, but none were injured. With the devastation all around, the college closed early without finals that semester. Considering my guy had no car, it was just nice to hear from the powers that be rather than trusting that oldest had all the correct info himself as I suspect rumors could have made a run too. We had to make travel arrangements quickly, so getting official word was just plain welcome. But I don't expect notification of the "normal" issues to be honest. This was a semester changing sudden event that was deadly for many in a huge area. Even if a relative of mine had been on staff or cleaning crew there, I'd have appreciated knowing all were fine and what was happening schedule-wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 My son's college was in the way of Sandy two years ago. The local cell tower was down as was the electricity. The college had no contact of any kind with the outside world -- it was even cut off by road due to numerous downed trees. One of the profs lived near campus and somehow managed to get access to a network from his home, so the college sent info emails through him. I'm glad that we received an email about every third day telling what was going on on campus. If that makes me a helicopter parent in the eyes of some on the board, so be it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3XBlessed Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Last year, there was a shooting at my son's university. The gunman (the authorities never determined what his intentions were in having a gun on campus) was killed by a security guard. It happened in the building just next to my son's department building. In fact, he could see the police around the building when he looked out the window. My son called me right away to let me know that they were in lockdown in the building, but that he was fine. He wanted me to hear it from him before I heard it on the news. We live in the local area of the university so I would have heard about it very quickly. If he had not called me, I would not have heard from the university. I think it would have been a good idea to be notified as a next of kin in case of emergencies, regardless of their adult status. There were also major injuries and problems during the 99% protests going on a couple of years ago. It was all over the news, and I knew my son was on campus during those times. Again, he let me know by text that he was fine and not anywhere near the protest crowds. My daughter's college keeps us up to date about all kinds of things that we need or may want to know, through emails, newsletters, letters by mail. They really cultivate relationships with the parents. Included in the freshman registration packet was the same notice about the privacy law, along with a waiver for the student to sign agreeing that the college can speak or contact the parents about the student. They left that up to the student and parent to determine whether they wanted to sign the waiver. I can see that this might be especially important if the student had any issues with depression or anxieties, or is on the autism spectrum, also regardless of adult status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 My son's college was in the way of Sandy two years ago. The local cell tower was down as was the electricity. The college had no contact of any kind with the outside world -- it was even cut off by road due to numerous downed trees. One of the profs lived near campus and somehow managed to get access to a network from his home, so the college sent info emails through him. I'm glad that we received an email about every third day telling what was going on on campus. If that makes me a helicopter parent in the eyes of some on the board, so be it. I don't think you're a helicopter parent! I think there are legitimate circumstances where a university would want to communicate with parents. Not run-of-the-mill situations. I can't really remember how I got on the e-mail list. I think during orientation, parents could opt into e-mails that are usually of the "remember the university has such and such services available" or "join us for parents weekend" variety. But the two schools my dc are at both have histories of horrendous serial student murders. The murders were in my generation but they have marked both schools. So when a spree of violent campus attacks started happening, it brought back memories of a very bad week when the news of multiple student murders kept rolling in. I think parents were getting nervous. I'm actually pretty hands-off, but in this instance, I was surprised that the university's communication with parents was, to me, a bit slow. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 My high school daughter is a half-time student at Georgia Tech, which has a pretty well-known issue with crime, almost all muggings. She gets emails when there is an incident on or near campus. I don't get anything. I actually have never received communication of any kind from the school, now that I think about it. I am probably down somewhere as her emergency contact, but otherwise, I am not even sure they have my information. Maybe it would be different if she were a full-time student or were living on campus (she only WISHES she could live on campus right now), but as far as I can see, she is treated just like a regular ol' student. I actually get more communication from prospective colleges, i.e., mail and email addressed to "Parent of." ETA: To answer the question, yes, I am fine with this. My college never communicated with my parents, either, so this is what I expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 The only time I've heard from either of my sons' colleges is when they need tuition money. (LOL) Same here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted September 19, 2014 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Dd and ds go to a school where there has been a rash of attacks on girls on campus. It was well known in the media and among friends before I got my first email from the university. I've had two emails now, but the serious response and reassurance that the school had taken steps to raise safety and awareness was a little late in coming. How is it being handled by the colleges where your dc are attending? Lisa DS's college had a serious crime and I received 3 emails...1 that it happened, 1 about the changes they implemented and 1 followup. I appreciated it. I was going to call Campus security to find out what was happening the day I got the second email. At freshman orientation, the head of campus security gave a talk and he gave us his phone number and said put this in your cell phone. I really appreciated that. He said we could call with any concerns that ever came up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 I don't receive emails about anything except the bill! :) I assume if there were emergencies, however, I would get an email. I am very, very sorry about the attack on girls on your children's college campus. That kind of news makes me sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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