CONGRESS TRIES TO TURN COLLEGES INTO TATTLETALES

FROM kindergarten through high school, a student can't go on a field
trip, get in a fight on the playground or flunk a chemistry test
without a note going home to Mom and Dad.

So when a child goes off to college, parents are in for a shock.
College students 18 and older are considered adults. The college isn't
responsible for reporting back to Mom and Dad about Junior's behavior,
health or academic progress. Junior is supposed to take responsibility
for Junior. In fact, it is against federal privacy law for colleges or
universities to inform parents about their children's campus behavior.

There is good reason for this. College is a time for young people to
try on adulthood. It is a chance to make mistakes and learn from them
in an environment that is slightly more protected than the real world,
with a built-in support system of roommates, advisers, professors and
counselors.

There is another reason. Colleges and universities can't be
babysitters. They can't monitor every student every minute. If they
took on responsibility for informing parents whenever a student was
headed for trouble, they would be subject to a lawsuit every time they
failed to notify parents that a child was failing a course, drinking
or using drugs.

But it's hard for parents to let go, especially when they think their
children might be in danger. In the past year, a series of deaths on
college campuses caused by excessive drinking convinced many parents
that their children were in danger. The parents convinced Congress
that their right to know about their children's activities should
supersede their children's right to privacy. Last month Congress
passed a bill that would allow colleges and universities to inform
parents if their children violate drug or alcohol laws -- either local
laws or campus rules. President Clinton is expected to sign the bill
Wednesday.

Binge drinking is a serious problem on our college campuses. A study
by the Harvard School of Public Health found that two in five college
students are binge drinkers. Last year 34 college students died in
alcohol-related incidents.

In response, college administrators, students, parents and government
officials have searched for ways to address the problem of campus
drinking. Some of the responses make good sense: Colleges have
increased alcohol education programs. Eight national fraternities have
outlawed drinking at their chapter houses. Some schools have banned
drinking in residence halls, even for students over 21. Campus police
are arresting more students for alcohol violations. Some students are
signing waivers allowing schools to contact their parents if they are
caught breaking drug or alcohol rules.

The response from Congress, unfortunately, was to go overboard. The
bill on the president's desk doesn't force colleges and universities
to change their privacy policies, but it gives them the option, which
diminishes their liability protection. Under the current law, colleges
can't be held liable because they are forbidden to tell parents. Under
the new law, if a college decides not to inform parents, it may be
sued by parents who disagree with the decision.

This bill will not stop binge drinking; it will merely turn colleges
into tattletales. And it is likely to give parents a false sense of
security because colleges don't have enough staff to keep tabs on
every student.

Unable to resist the urge to appear pro-parent and anti-crime in an
election year, Congress passed a bill that is likely to undermine the
relationship between colleges and their students. Congress needs to

learn when to say when.

1997 - 1998 Mercury Center.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady