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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Parent working at the Uni their child attends?

55 replies

Hippopotaperson · 18/08/2023 22:03

DD is a few years off uni yet but she’s already showing interest in a particular course/subject. It’s a particularly strong area for the university where I work so she’d be looking at courses there. It’s an expensive area to live in so she may live at home and study where I work. Does this seem doomed to fail? Has anyone a similar experience?

OP posts:
Calibrachoa · 18/08/2023 22:05

If it's what she wants I think it would be fine.

cruffinsmuffin · 18/08/2023 22:06

It depends - do you work in the department / faculty she wants to study in? Is it a particularly small university?

When I was at university I didn't even know all of the professors who taught my subject, or all of the other faculty members (standard red brick uni) so I can't imagine at most universities it would be an issue?

ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 18/08/2023 22:07

I knew some uni staff whose DC's even studied in the department they worked in. Didn't seem to bother anyone involved.

Coffeaddict · 18/08/2023 22:07

Is it the same department ie. Would you actually know his/ her lecturers ect.

I work in a uni and would have no problem with any of the kids going to it but would be weird if they were in my department. Can't put my finger on why u think the fear of one of them ending up in one of my lectures / tutorials 🤣

TenOhSeven · 18/08/2023 22:07

What's your job and what exactly do you think the problems would be?

Original poster
Hippopotaperson · 18/08/2023 22:07

Thanks Cali. I hope so. Anything could happen between then and now but she’s got friends going off to uni next year and the A level results has made all this seem more real.

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Original poster
Hippopotaperson · 18/08/2023 22:10

I think the problem may be that she doesn’t get to grow up and flex her wings away from parental gaze.

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murasaki · 18/08/2023 22:12

And, should you be so inclined, you could see her marks before she might want to share them with you.....

cocksstrideintheevening · 18/08/2023 22:12

Can't see the problem, my uncle and cousin lecture in a very niche subject and cousins daughter is studying the same subject, no issues at all

FarEast · 18/08/2023 22:22

murasaki · 18/08/2023 22:12

And, should you be so inclined, you could see her marks before she might want to share them with you.....

Which would break the GDPR code of conduct at every university I’ve worked at.

MargaretThursday · 18/08/2023 22:27

I knew someone at uni whose df worked at the university, and, what's more it was the same subject.

I know he requested not to lecture her, and there were enough lecturers around to not be a problem. It would be more of a problem if it was a small subject and they were in the situation of having to take them.

It wasn't a problem at all. We knew, no one commented really.

Only thing would be, I'd suggest she at least has the first year in halls. My friend lived out all three years, and did say that she was very glad about that!

TizerorFizz · 18/08/2023 22:28

GDPR act was only 2018. How many jobs have you had?

DelurkingAJ · 18/08/2023 22:31

I did this. Completely different subject, different college and I was in halls all four years. Saw less of my parents than many others did as they never came to see me (I did pop home for Sunday lunch once or twice a term). It was fine. If I’d read a subject that was more widely offered I might not have done so though as there were disadvantages (like my DDad being told my movements by his friends who had spotted me in town).

Original poster
Hippopotaperson · 18/08/2023 22:32

That wouldn’t be acceptable murasaki . If she did come to the uni I work at I’d probably have to avoid her records completely. It’s something I’d have to ask my manager about.

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Highdaysandholidays1 · 18/08/2023 22:33

This is pretty common. I know a couple of people who have students at their uni right now, often they stay home one year, go in halls a couple of years to mix it up and to get experience away from home. There was a discount for students of staff at one point at my institution, wish they still had it!

Hbh17 · 18/08/2023 22:36

Surely it would be better for her to leave home? There will be other universities that cover the course she wants. By the time she is 17, she will probably realise that it's better to move away.

murasaki · 18/08/2023 22:39

Yes, it would be outrageous and currently against gdpr, but the temptation would be there, and some people are less ethical than others. Not saying you are, of course.

2chocolateoranges · 18/08/2023 22:40

Hippopotaperson · 18/08/2023 22:10

I think the problem may be that she doesn’t get to grow up and flex her wings away from parental gaze.

Your teen can still grow up and flex their wings while still living at home. Both of my teens have done the same. They treat their home like a hotel at times due to staying at friends or out with boyfriends/girlfriends but that’s life.

I couldn’t afford to put 2 children through university when they are so close in age.

only 2 of dd’s friends (out of a friendship group of 12) attended uni away from home. One is now in third year and one only lasted 1 year and moved back home. None of ds’s friends have left home to go to uni.

it’s not as common as you think. Most of the people who dd knows who lived away from home are from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

bumblingbovine49 · 18/08/2023 22:41

murasaki · 18/08/2023 22:12

And, should you be so inclined, you could see her marks before she might want to share them with you.....

You would.be seriously disciplined for doing this at my university and it is easy to see who has accessed which records. You are absolutely not allowed to access student records except for a valid work related reason. You would also be trictly forbidden from sharing exam results with students before they are approved by the exam committee

I worked with a colleague whose brorher was graduating for the university we worked for. We both worked in professional services and wee involved in accessing and preparing exam results ready for confirmation by the exam board. My colleague could easily have pulled up his brother's results but we had no need.to see the results for studenta not in the subjects we were responsible for and he definitely did not do so as he commented that it would be easy to do but not worth the fallout .

TinfoilTangerine · 18/08/2023 22:41

I worked at a university where one of the lecturers had his son studying his subject. It was a large enough department that the son was never in tutorials with the father, although the father did lecture some weeks on a core module so presumably the son went to those. At exam board the father had to declare an interest and not say anything when his son's marks, degree class etc were discussed. This was in a very popular subject which most universities provide. I wouldn't want to do it and I don't think DC would but I can see how for a more niche subject it may be the only or best option.

Original poster
Hippopotaperson · 18/08/2023 22:43

I agree in theory Hbh and she may chose a different uni so she can move away. She may decide that uni isn’t the answer for her. However the courses at the uni I work at are world renowned for the subject. We live closer to the campus than a lot of the accommodation and the accommodation that is near is round the corner from our house and almost quadruple our rent!

OP posts:
RiverLen · 18/08/2023 22:44

Uni are big places. Unless you worked in the same department as the subject, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Original poster
Hippopotaperson · 18/08/2023 22:50

2 that’s what I want to hear, thank you for the reassurance!

It wouldn’t be worth losing my job and therefore my home to take a peak at records. Apart from the fact that I want to give DD independence rather than stalk her!

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SleepingStandingUp · 18/08/2023 22:51

How close would you work to her? Like do you lecture in her subject? Are you involved in admissions or welfare etc? Would you have any "power" over her? Or would you literally just be on the same site and crossing paths incidentally

3rdtimemumma · 18/08/2023 22:57

Some unis do reduced fees/scholarships if staff members send their children there. So if she goes, make sure you look into this.