Colleges Notifying Parents When Students Show Signs of Substance Abuse

According to a December 6, 2007 article from The Wall Street Journal, colleges across the country are choosing to notify parents when students show signs of trouble with drugs or alcohol. Although the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects student privacy, an exception that was added in 1998 allows colleges to reach out to the parents of students who are under 21 years of age and show signs of possible substance abuse. The article refers to a FERPA guide for parents, which can be accessed via the U.S. Department of Education Web site.

The article is available at the Web site of The Wall Street Journal.