Hey, Prof, my dad wants to see you

Demanding mums and dads will push universities into accepting far more parental representation on campus, a British academic has predicted.

Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at Kent University, said the wish of many parents to micro-manage their children's transition to adulthood would lead UK universities down the US path of providing parent liaison officers and campus councils that represented parents' interests.

Professor Furedi, who is studying the institutionalisation of parental involvement in universities, said: "It is only a matter of time before parents have a more active role in undergraduates' day-to-day life. What happens in the US usually precedes what happens here."

John Turner, dean of engineering and science at London South Bank University, said parents' demands had increased. "Parents say things such as 'My son's project is far too difficult.' I have to be as diplomatic as possible."

He added: "It's a growing trend that has got worse in the past couple of years - obviously because people feel they are paying for courses now." He said some parents got angry when they were refused information about such things as grades because of data protection laws. "They say, 'We are paying, we have a right to know.'"

Joe Donovan, a parent from Watford, said UK universities should do more to include parents so that they can better advise and support their children.

His two children dropped out of university - his son left Reading and his daughter failed to complete a London School of Economics course.

He said: "Parents need to be involved if only to offer advice. Universities need to adjust to the new climate - pressures on students are a lot worse than they were."