CampusESP surveyed 4500 current college parents about whether they would like to become more involved with their student’s college. 50% of parents said “no”, while 50% said “yes" or “maybe”.

With parent and family involvement in postsecondary education at an all-time high, why would parents want to be even more involved, and does this present an opportunity for colleges and universities?

It’s important to look more closely at the TYPES of parents who want more involvement and engagement. CampusESP’s analysis indicates that 71% of Black/African American parents and 64% of Hispanic/Latino parents want more engagement from their student's colleges:

Why are these ethnicity comparisons important? Because college graduation rates vary greatly by ethnicity (NCES, 2015):

Previous CampusESP analysis has shown that parents providing academic advice has a positive relationship with academic success.

By building bridges with African American and Hispanic parents (parents who are asking for more involvement anyway), colleges can help those students be more successful.

In order to build and encourage those relationships, colleges need to reach parents when they first arrive.  Parent interest in becoming more involved decreases over time:

How are you encouraging parent participation in first year programming?  What impact is it having for your college and for your different student populations?