That's a good question...having been on both sides, as a parent when you want to get information about your son or daughter's work. You want to know, so that you can help them stay on track, particularly if you are forking out the tuition, or some sort of loan that you know your child will have to pay back.

But as an instructor, there are boundaries that I think have to be considered between student and teacher. Unless there is some sort of physical danger, or a mental challenge than parents will have to trust their student children to do the best they can and learn to stand on their own two feet. That is one of the most important things about a college education--it shows you that you can finish something that you start--an important life lesson.

I have mixed emotions, I have a college aged son and two school age sons. I am very concerned with all of thier academic process. I know sometimes it's hard for student who may have learning disabilities to advocate for them selves. I think you  need to have more information about the student  to determine if they need more guidance than others whether it's the parent or and another adult. So, I guess I may be a helicopter parent, the term is not degrading to me, I would rather be called an advocate.