Parental involvement in higher education has become more prevalent on college campuses as evidenced by increased reports in news media, journalistic articles, and academic publications. Parents who play an active role in their children\u27s day to day college experiences present a new challenge for college administrators who often find themselves attempting to address parents\u27 concerns while being mindful of student development goals as well as complying with federal laws like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which protect college students\u27 privacy. Using Nietzsche\u27s \u27perspectivism\u27 as a conceptual rationale and employing a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, this study set out to understand a) the common concerns and expectations of parents during their children\u27s transition to college; (b) how parents view their role during their children\u27s college experience; (c) how institutional structures such as programs and policies mediate parental involvement on college campuses. Results from this study support the notion that parents consider themselves consumers, involved partners and investors in their children\u27s college experience. Parental involvement in this study was driven by specific concerns parents had for their students\u27 academic or social well being. Institutional policies were ineffective in mediating parental involvement and parents\u27 expectations were mediated more by their student\u27s ability to address parent\u27s concerns than by institutional structures. An effective institutional response to parental involvement requires institutions of higher education to meaningfully engage parents in a manner that is developmentally appropriate for the student and respective of the aims and ends of the institution
