In an attempt to involve parents in critical student issues, the Office of the Dean of Students will put the New Policy of Parent Notification of Alcohol and Drug Incidents into effect at the beginning of fall semester.
Under this new policy, Auburn University will contact parents if their son or daughter is involved in an alcohol or drug-related incident.
This is being added to an existing policy that allows the University to contact parents if their son or daughter is transported to a medical facility because of alcohol or drug use.
Jim Hardin, Judicial Affairs in the Office of the Dean of Students, said the policy applies to happenings on and off campus as long as an Auburn student is involved.
Parents will be notified when a student is caught violating the policy, but Hardin said they do not intend to target the homes of college students.
On-campus events, such as football games, will certainly be more closely monitored, and a student would be more likely to be found in violation of the policy at such an event rather, than their homes, in Auburn.
Supporters of the policy claim it will keep students making the transition to college life from overdoing drinking and drug-using behaviors.
Our entire editorial board, however, believes the new policy will discourage new college students from asserting their independence their first years away from home.
Auburn University’s purpose is to provide its students with higher education, not to check up on its students as if they were in elementary school instead of college.
We did not apply to Auburn with the understanding that we would be gaining another parent who plans to tattle on us to our other parents.
If a student gets in trouble, the problem should and can be handled within the family. Students who have drug or alcohol problems often reflect it in their grades, their behavior and even their appearance.
The University seems to be overstepping its bounds as it tries to force families to communicate.
There should be trust within families, both biological families and the Auburn family, and the new policy creates suspicion of college students’ behaviors.
The policy may also exaggerate the situation. If the alcohol or drug incident is a one-time occurrence during which the student got caught, it would create trust issues between parents and students.
There’s also the question of equal treatment. Are police and the University going to crack down on members of fraternities and Auburn athletes, in addition to the rest of the student body?
The problem would be solved if the University would simply treat us all as adults.
Camp War Eagle counselors stress to all incoming freshman they will be treated as adults because they are entering college. But with this policy, Auburn is proving that to be false.
