Privacy, or peril: where, many are asking, is the line between the parents' right to know about their child's mental state and the student's right to privacy? - Liability

University Business, Jan, 2004 by Jean Marie Angelo

Each student is looked at on a case-by-case basis. If, for example, a student has an eating disorder, appropriate members of the committee form a sub-team to determine who is best to approach that student and offer help. If the student has formed a good relationship with someone on campus, that person might be chosen to reach out. Says Tribbensee, "Our goal--best case--is to work directly with the students and provide enough counseling to help them make positive decisions." The outreach includes informing a student about resources on campus and asking for a promise to get help. "If a student promised to make contact with an office, someone on the committee follows up on that," she says. If the committee thinks the family should be notified, a student is first asked for the name of someone to call. Asking first is one clear way of respecting student privacy, explains the deputy general counsel. "If there is total refusal to comply, and we think concerns are high enough, we contact a family member," she adds.

The hope is to have a plan that gets the individuals at risk on the right track and does not create even more apprehension for a student, says Tribbensee. Sometimes the thought of family contact is more anxiety-provoking for a young person than it is helpful Then again, she points out, some students are simply not in the frame of mind to decide what to do. This is something the committee must determine.

The Role of Reauthorization

Expect suicide--and other crisis issues--to be analyzed even more acutely as legislators review the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, due for revamping this year. FERPA, part of the act, may be altered yet again to give colleges and universities even more Leeway in parent notification, notes Peter Stokes, executive VP of Eduventures (www.eduventures.com), an educational analyst firm. There is a current effort to rank the safety of K-12 schools, he notes, and it may be possible that legislators will ask that IHEs be held more accountable for campus safety.

"It is conceivable that these kinds of measures could be placed on higher education institutions," says Stokes, "and that could be a problem." It is a natural inclination for colleges and universities to "spin" their safety reports, he observes, even though accurate reporting is mandatory under the Student Right to Know Act. But, "If you are trying to move up in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, you aren't going to announce too loudly how many violent crimes you had on campus," he points out.

And if safety is difficult to discuss, how much harder is it going to be to talk openly about suicide or related issues, such as alcohol and drug abuse? Difficult as it is, though, it is time to start the dialog, says Tribbensee, who urges presidents and deans to be proactive. Talking about the issues and setting policy are the best ways to manage these issues on campus, she maintains.

From Tragedy, Help for Students

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