Academic Advisors and Helicopter Parents

There is much debate in academic advising practitioner literature and in the popular media over the influence exerted by involved parents on students and colleges. There is a broad consensus that parental involvement has increased to levels not previously witnessed on college campuses, changing the relationship between students, their parents, and the students' academic advisors. Although there has been much discussion among academic advising professionals concerning the influence parents have on both student development and on their own role as guides and mentors of new students there is a paucity of research studies on the topic. Current research on parental involvement and student success remains in its infancy. This study contributes to the nascent research field by investigating academic advising professionals’ experiences and perceptions of parental involvement. This study utilizes qualitative case study methods to examine the perceptions on involved parenting held by advising professionals at an integrated advising unit at a large, Midwestern, flagship type public university. The case study’s participants provide individual and collective narrative lenses to explore their