Parents of Generation Z college students are woven into the fabric of many universities, with over 200 universities providing dedicated orientations, weekends, websites, and newsletters for parents of college students. While their presence on campus is known, the experiences of parents on campus are not. This case study examines this relatively new relationship and to understand the perceptions and experiences of parents and administrators working with each other at a highly-selective research university. Using interviews with university administrators, interviews with parents of current students, program assessments, review of publications, and analysis of online resources, this study provides an in-depth description of the complex relationship between parents and universities. Included in the study is the use of Epstein’s (2011) framework of parental involvement for the K–12 setting and the creation of a college parent involvement framework for use in the university setting.

Three themes emerged as important in the parent-university relationship. On-campus experiences (campus preview visits, orientation, and Family Weekend); parent communication (calendar/handbook, emailed newsletter, and Facebook pages); and parent advocacy (medical resources, mental health, and university crisis response) all combined to provide an in-depth understanding of the experience of parents.

Overall, parents described an appreciation of the helpful resources provided by the parent programs office and also frustration by the surface-level information that addressed hypothetical situations but not their daily concerns about the academic rigor of coursework, response to crisis situations, and concerns about the mental health of the students on campus. Parents described on-campus experiences positively, highlighting orientation sessions that provided direct communication and guidance for parents about the journey on which their students were about to embark and what to expect as part of the transition. The communication provided by the university offered helpful parenting tips and dates to parents, but not the detailed policy and process information that some parents felt they needed. These needs resulted in parents conducting personal advocacy for their students. Advocacy became frustration when parents were confronted with administrators that do not value parents' perspective or understand their involvement.