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The 1998 Congressional revisions to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and clarification to the revisions in July 2000, permit institutions of higher education to notify parents/guardians of students who are under the age of 21 if their student has been found responsible for violating institutional policy related to alcohol and other drugs. In keeping with these guidelines, Western Michigan University (WMU) has adopted the practice of Parent Notification. Parent Notification is usually given as a sanction when a student, under the age of 21, is found responsible for violation of the alcohol/drug policies contained in the WMU Student Code.

The goals of Parental Notification include:

• Reducing alcohol/other drug use by WMU students
• Engaging parents in dialogue about their student’s behavior related to alcohol/drugs
• Assisting students and the WMU community in understanding that WMU takes underage alcohol/drug use seriously

Please note: Exceptions that may preclude Parental Notification involve certain situations related to a student’s personal relationship with or the current status of a parent (e.g. abuse, parent recovering from surgery).