Parents sending their kids off to Penn undoubtedly hope to receive calls about their child's progress through college.
They probably hope those calls are not notifying them that their children have been abusing drugs or alcohol.
According to a Wall Street Journal article published last week, an increasing number of universities are contacting parents about their underage children's alcohol and drug violations, sometimes for the first offense.
Although Penn's own parental notification system is not as stringent as that of some schools, the University has contacted parents in the past for such infractions.
Stephanie Ives, director of strategic initiatives for the University, wrote in an e-mail that Penn's system is "quite moderate, primarily encouraging students to develop their independence and identity."
Ives continued by writing that the University requires a "handful of students" each year to notify their parents that they are receiving help for an alcohol or drug problem.
She also noted students are normally allowed to contact their parents themselves before the University does.
College sophomore Jacob Bennett said he supported the idea of notifying parents.
He said the University should have the right to step in if a student seems to be in serious trouble because of alcohol or substance abuse.
Bennett is not alone in his support for the system.
Ives said that during previous revisions of the University alcohol policy students have expressed satisfaction with the current set-up. Therefore, there are no current plans to change Penn's system.
Still, only since 1999 have universities had the right to contact parents about student behavior.
According to the U.S. Department of Education Web site, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act allows schools to "inform parents if the student who is under age 21 has violated any law or its policy concerning the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance."
The act allows schools to set their own policy for contacting parents, explaining Penn's more relaxed approach.
Beyond situations of medical emergency, Penn's policy also allows for parents to be contacted if the student is under 21 and has had "previous, significant drug- or alcohol-related violations," as well as if a crime was committed during the violation.
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