The Always Changing, Ever Evolving Field of Parent Involvement

1. The Always Changing, Ever Evolving Field of Parent Involvement Jeanine Ward-Roof, Ph.D.–The Florida State University Anna Carey – Western Washington University Mark Roof – The Florida State University

2. Selected Timeline 1913 – Gott v. Berea 1949 – Student Personnel Point of View 1959 – Melvin Hardee research 1961 – In Loco Parentis begins to unravel 1974 – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (Lowery, 2011) 1988 – 1st edition of “Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide To Today’s College Experience”

3. Selected Timeline • 1990 – Origin of term helicopter parent • 1998 – Amendments to FERPA (Lowery, 2011) • 1990s – substantial increase in parent involvement on college campuses (Howe and Strauss, 2007) • Large number of Baby Boomers began sending Gen X children to school • End of family detachment in the 1980s • College administrators embraced parent involvement

4. Selected Timeline • 2000 – administrators not prepared for parental involvement • Parents seen as “intrusive, time-consuming and annoying” (Howe and Strauss, 2007) • Terms to describe parent behavior emerged • stealth fighter, tandem bicycle, helicopter parent term became more mainstream; term umbrella parent emerged • Popular press began addressing parenting college students • 2010 – CAS Standards for parent and family programs introduced

5. Current Literature • Millennials desire more parental involvement than other students in past four decades • Students rely on advice from parents in almost every aspect of life • Students contact parents at unprecedented rate (Taylor, 2011) • Terms emerged for continued connection with families: The Accordion family & Boomerang Kids (Newman, 2012)

6. Why? • Generational differences • Parental cynicism of their college experience • Power of middle class parent movement • Fear • Consumerism • Accountability (Taylor, 2011 & Howe and Strauss, 2007 )

7. Different = Similar • Goals for parent programs (Cohen, R. 1985) • Responsibility for institutional goals • Ambassadors and Supporters • Volunteers • Donors • Current • Desired roles may be similar but interactions are more intense

8. Pilot Survey • Methodology • Electronic survey created using Survey Monkey • Distributed to NASPA Parent and Family Relations Knowledge Community Listserv and to a select group of student affairs colleagues • 1375 sent • 35 responses (2.5%) • Demographics of institution size • Small (under 10,000) 14 • Med (10-20,000) 4 • Large (20,000+) 18 • Private 5 • Public 20 • Limitation, number of responses

9. Best Practices • How are people staying current? • NASPA KC & presentations • Association of Higher Education Parent/Family Program Professionals – AHEPPP • Journals, The Chronicle of Higher Education • Type of Organization • Club with dues - 3 • Open, no dues - 24 • Invited Membership - 3 • Advisory Board - 15 • Facet of Alumni Programs - 9 • Fundraising oriented - 7 • Hybrid - 4 • Other - 4

10. Type of Organization • National Survey of College and University Parent Programs (M. Savage, 2011) • Placement • All institutions • 58.3% Student Affairs • 24.1% Advancement • Public • 74.1% Student Affairs • 8.1% Advancement • Private • 42.1% Student Affairs • 43.2% Advancement • Creation • 52.2% of programs created since 2000 • 31.8% since 2006

11. Best Practices & Services Provided • Increased application of social networking & technology • E-newsletters • Online seminars/webinars • Hotlines and email responses to questions • Increased programming & outreach • Orientation 96.2% (61% 2003) • Family Weekend 91.4% (74.4% 2003) • Fundraising 82.5% (43.9% 2003) • Handbook 76% (12.2.% 2003) • PRINTED newsletter 35.6% (54.9% 2003) (M. Savage, 2011)

12. Future Trends – Survey Results • Current Practitioners • Engaging high-capacity donors • Regional & hometown networks • Communication during campus crises • All institutions will establish a parents/family relations office • The next generation will involve their parents even more therefore, parents will increase their communication with institutes • Student wellness portals

13. Future Trends – Pilot Survey Results • Current Practitioners • Greater access for parents to academic advisers • Greater understanding of FERPA among faculty members and a willingness to assist without divulging academic records • Working with international parents and graduate students • Needing to invite parental involvement for low-income and first-generation students • Gen X parents will be more involved than Baby Boomer parents. They will require more tech-heavy info with quicker response times

14. Future Trends, continued • Next generation of articles, research, books… • For parents • "The iConnected Parent: Staying Close to Your Kids in College (and Beyond) While Letting Them Grow Up,” B. Hofer & A. Sullivan Moore • “The Accordion Family: Boomerang Kids, Anxious Parents, and the Private Toll of Global Competition,” K. Newman • Recent NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times articles focusing on staying in touch but allowing room to grow

15. Future Trends, continued • Next generation of articles, research, books… • For higher education professionals • “Not Quite Adults: Why 20-Somethings Are Choosing a Slower Path to Adulthood, and Why It's Good for Everyone,” R. Settersten & B. Ray • “Parents' Perspectives on Parental Notification of College Students' Alcohol Use,” Merith Cosden and Jennifer B. Hughes, Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice (2012) • ‘In Community with Students’ Parents and Families,” J. Donovan, D. McKelfresh, , Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice (2006) • Webinars & seminars • Parent Perspectives: A Panel Discussion of what Parents Need, Want and Value from a College • Parent & Family Issues 2012, Paper Clip Communications

16. Conclusions and Questions Keep focus on supporting student

17. Resources • Association of Higher Education Parent/Family Program Professionals – AHEPPP - http://www.aheppp.org/ • Cohen, R. (1985). Working with the Parents of College Students. New Directions for Student Services. • Howe, N. & Strauss, W. (2007). Millennials go to college. Life Course Associates. • Magolda, P & Baxter Magolda, M. (2011). Contested Issues in Student Affairs: Diverse Perspective and Respectful Dialogue (specifically, Lowery & Taylor chapters on parents) • NASPA Parent and Family Relations KC – www.NASPA.org • Newman, K. (2012). The Accordion Family: Boomerang Kids, Anxious Parents, and the Private Toll of Global Competition. • Savage, M (2011). National Survey of College and University Parent Programs - http://www1.umn.edu/parent/about/survey-reports/index.html

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