When a student at MIT was successful in her suicide attempt in 2002, her parents were horrified to find their daughter had made other attempts at ending her life and that records of the attempts went into private files and they were never notified. Now, with the recent rash of suicides at New York University, parents examine the necessity of a revision of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974.
The privacy act, as outlined by UB's Administrative Regulations, refers to the confidentiality of a student's educational records. The documents protected under the act include admissions, cumulative academic, health, financial, placement and disciplinary records.
"The University at Buffalo, the State University of New York complies fully with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 in its treatment of student educational records," states UB's by-laws; Part II, Article 8: Administrative Regulations, Section 2a, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Only three months into the fall semester, three students at NYU have fallen to their deaths. Parents of UB students believe - with the wide availability of counseling for students, along with disciplinary and academic records - there are ways for them to be alerted to any mental strain their children might be facing.
Elaine Van Groenewoud, a resident of East Amherst and parent of a UB student, said school officials should consider a revision of the act that would be conducive to students' privacy while keeping parents in the know.
"The policy needs to be reviewed so that specific information can be released in order to ensure students' safety, but not to discourage them from seeking medical treatment," she said.
Greg Capodagli, a freshman business major, agreed that parents should have some knowledge of their children's progress and needs.
"I think it's a parent's right to know what their child's medical and physical health information is," he said.
The privacy act was created to allow students to view their educational records while barring other non-school officials from obtaining these records without the student's consent. UB officials commit themselves to protecting students' privacy.
"We are quite strict with how we manage medical information," said Dr. Frank Carnevale, director for Student Health and coordinator of Health Services and Student Wellness Team.
Dave Wind, a resident of Lancaster whose daughter is a student at UB, said he believes parents definitely have a right to see their children's records, as parents sometimes assume financial responsibility for their children.
His daughter Kristy Wind, a freshman undecided about her major, agreed.
"The parents have a right to see their student's medical information if they're paying for their tuition and health care," said Wind.
While some parents and students believe a parent's ability to have access to their children's records should not have to be determined by students' willingness to consent - especially when the students might endanger themselves - others believe the act should remain as it stands.
Catherine Dodds, a sophomore biochemistry major, said she believes the privacy act does not need to be revised, as the problems with suicide and changing the Privacy Act are actually not related issues.
"I don't think parents being able to see their student's medical records would have done anything to prevent them from committing suicide," she said.
According to Carnevale, the current policy is "absolutely beneficial" as it is an 18-year-old's adult right to receive private, adequate health care, and changing the policy would most likely not affect the occurrence of suicide.
David Hansen, a junior finance and economics major, said he believes that without the policy, students might not seek needed medical attention about personal matters that they wish to keep private.
With the epidemic of youth suicide spreading, many can understand the plight of parents who want to be aware of the happenings in their children's lives, though some believe focusing on altering the privacy act is not the answer to curbing suicide rates.
According to Carnevale, the answer to decreasing student suicide lies in educational awareness of the signs of depression, as well as better communication between parents and their children, not in changing the policy. Carnevale points out that any medical information parents obtain will not be helpful if they do not have a good relationship with their son or daughter.
Parents might take comfort in the availability of counseling and other medical resources that may assist in mental unease.
Carnevale advises students to take advantage of UB's health resources, such as the Wellness Center, workshops geared towards stress reduction and time management as a part of early prevention of depression, and the counseling center.
"I think UB does a great job in terms of referring students to appropriate resources and making services available to students who are in need," said Carnevale.
The Web site, wellness.buffalo.edu, is another source for students to learn how to help their friends or themselves in the privacy of their own rooms.
With the gulf that can grow between parents and students during the college years, Carnevale advises parents to use every opportunity to develop and maintain a healthy communicative relationship with their children.
"It's never to late to open the doors for communication," he said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
