Reply to Q re: the wisdom behind FERPA

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[quote=Anonymous]This is such an odd thread. Sounds like the OP may have overreacted from the FERPA presentation, but a parent of a first time college student is working through a lot (as is the kid).

For the professor, yes, there are plenty of helicopter and snow plow parents. That's definitely a hazard of this line of work. (FWIW, the only parent I know to call a university dean about course selection for their kid was a...college professor at another higher ed institution.) There are also parents trying to do their best with kids who may not always be able to do their best. First quarter of my sophomore year of college was watching my friends' suitemate take every day to a new level. He flunked out by the end of the first quarter and was gone at the beginning of the next. We only belatedly learned - and much later really understood - that he was having his first manic episode. As a parent, I guess I would want to know that my college kid was unraveling due to mania, depression, or something similar. Some colleges have not acquitted themselves well here, so yes, I will discuss FERPA with DCs and ask them to sign it in order that we can act as swiftly and responsibly as possible in an emergency. Kudos to one of the PPs who pointed out an emergency is not the time for anyone to have to work out POA for any of the other adults in the family.

For the other parents crapping on the OP, I am bit taken aback at your responses. Kids are not cookie cutters. Any study of twins, triplets, etc will show that those born to the same parents on the same day may still have quite divergent behavior.  One twin may be quite mature at the start of college while the other may be struggling with organization, socializing, etc. So there are going to be kids who are fully adults at the start of college, while others may only be on paper. DH and I really hope that we have created conditions for our kids to grow roots and wings, but even then they can still stumble and we will be there if that occurs, ideally with any advanced insights from the school.

OP, good luck![/quote]

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