A fundamental goal of Grinnell College is to support students' independence and maturity, in part by expecting them to assume responsibility for their own educational and personal matters. Additionally, federal law protects the confidentiality of student records and specifies those limited situations in which information from educational records may be given out without a student's prior consent. We operate on the premise that students are adults; therefore, we desire to work directly with them - and not through their parents - on problems they are experiencing academically or socially. At the same time, the College also encourages students and parents or guardians to communicate directly, regularly, and openly with each other about issues of mutual concern.

However, under laws and policies that govern the privacy rights of students, Grinnell College has the authority and reserves the right to contact parents or guardians of dependent students about a variety of serious matters and the parents or guardians of all students in emergencies regarding serious injury or life or death situations. The cases in which Grinnell would, in extraordinary circumstances, notify parents or guardians cannot in the nature of things be completely enumerated or described; but it is, for example, the belief of Grinnell that a serious injury to a student, or a violent crime committed upon a student, is a sufficiently grave occurrence as to constitute an extraordinary circumstance. Parental or guardian notification may also occur under the following circumstances: hospitalization; hospital visits for alcohol poisoning or drug overdose; behavior that will likely result in residence hall suspension or expulsion, conduct suspension, or dismissal; acts of violence or significant abu se toward others or a student's own self; arrest; drug or alcohol use that results in police action; or serious mental health concerns. In the case of an unexplained absence of a student for several days or more, whether the student is a dependent or not, the college also reserves the right to contact friends and relatives to help in locating the student.

Although in most instances, students will be encouraged to inform their own parents or guardians, the College reserves the right to notify parents or guardians directly and/or to ensure that parents or guardians have been satisfactorily informed. Grinnell College recognizes, however, that special circumstances might cause a student to believe that notification of parents would be undesirable or inappropriate. The Vice-President for Student Affairs or a Student Affairs Dean uses professional judgment when determining whether notifying parents or guardians is essential and benefits student welfare. In certain individual instances, the College may then conclude that it is not in the student's best interest that parental/guardian notification take place, and in that event an exception to the general policy may be made. In every case, College staff will attempt to talk with the student before contacting a parent or guardian, in order to discuss the possible benefits and challenges of notification.