Club Challenges University's Parent Notification Policy

Kalie Ammons

According to The Source, Manchester University currently “reserves the right to notify parents or legal guardians of alcohol and/or drug violations and sanctions for those dependent students under the age of 21,” something Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) would like to change.

“What about the fact that students who are 18 are legally adults” asks SSDP President Carissa Arnett. “Why shouldn’t students consent to this letter the same way they consent to a parent accessing Gateway?  Why are letters only sent for some drug/alcohol violations and not other policies?”

Those who only skimmed The Source at orientation may not be aware of this policy. This is why SSDP hopes to begin a campus-wide conversation on the topic before executing a plan to meet about the issue with proper authorities.

The club ultimately finds the policy patronizing. “One part of coming to college is to learn how to be a responsible adult, and that should mean accepting the consequences of your own actions without relying on the threat of separate parental discipline as part of the conduct system,” Arnett said.