The Status of Parental Notification Policy and Practice for Students Involved with Alcohol Abuse at a Private University in Nigeria

Abstract

Parental notification policies and practices have been found to reduce alcohol and drug use at universities in the United States of America. This study examined the status of parental notification policy and practice at a faith-based private university in Nigeria for students involved with alcohol use. The study revealed that the absence of a documented policy on procedure on parental notification led to inconsistencies in the informal notification practices. Parents, staff and students expressed varied degrees of frustration at the lack of proper parental notification practices. Factors such as mode of notification, timing and purpose of notification, clarification of familial relationships between students and parents–guardian emerged as key indicators. The study recommends that Nigeria as a nation contextualize the American Higher Education Reauthorization Act of 1998 and enact legislation on parental notification that will inform the development of a parental notification policy in Nigerian universities.