Parent & Family Communication

Providence College works closely with students to support their academic and social success, which, in certain situations, may involve having conversations with parents/guardians. Generally, the College considers our students to be capable of and responsible for managing their education and making informed decisions, often with guidance from faculty, staff, and families.

Parental Notification Guidelines

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), of 1974, as amended, is a federal law that protects the privacy of personally identifiable information in student educational records. With limited exceptions, private information from student records cannot be disclosed without student consent. Exceptions to this nondisclosure provision exist for health and safety emergencies.

Additionally, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that protects sensitive health information and gives patients certain rights over their health records. HIPAA regulations in college health centers protect students’ medical privacy, meaning that, without explicit consent from the student, colleges generally cannot share details about a student’s health or treatment with their families, regardless of the student’s age. In the Providence College Student Health Center, students are given the opportunity to sign a HIPPA release at the time of visit allowing the Health Center staff to share health information with the student’s family. A new release must be signed at each appointment if the student wishes to continue to share their health information. HIPPA does have certain exceptions where protected health information (PHI) can be disclosed without patient consent, particularly in the case of serious illness or emergency situations.

For additional information about the criteria the Dean of Students Office uses to determine when communication with a parent/guardian is necessary, please review the Parental Notification Guidelines for the Dean of Students Office.