University of Hawai'i-Manoa students say a parent group is too involved in campus politics, policy decisions and the lives of students and they want it gone.

A petition is circulating on campus calling for the dissolution of the Parents and Friends of UH-Manoa-PTA, the first nationally recognized college Parent Teacher Association. At least five related letters to the editor and editorials have appeared in the campus newspaper Ka Leo O Hawaii. On Sept. 26 , the paper published an editorial urging the parents group to let the students make decisions for themselves.

"Having parents active in college is not a good idea," said Morgana Masuda, a 20-year-old Manoa student. "I think it is important for college students to learn to live on their own."

Some students blame the PTA for new dorm policies aimed at reducing underage and excessive drinking, said Grant Teichman, president of the Associated Students of UH-Manoa.

"We're in college now and parental influence should end the moment they drop us off on campus," Teichman said.

Students thought the parent group was solely responsible for "some radical changes on campus this year," said Dr. Theresa Wee, PTA president.

But Teichman said the administration is also responsible for the alcohol policy.

Ron Cambra, associate dean of arts and sciences, oversaw discussions on alcohol use in the dorms and said the PTA played a lesser role in deciding the policy.

"To say that the agenda on alcohol came from the parent group is tremendously oversimplifying," Cambra said. He said most of the 19 recommendations that led up to the alcohol policy came from a student group at the dorms.

"To say they (parents) had that much power over the agenda is grossly unfair," Cambra said.

The policy grew out of several developments, including a 50 percent increase in alcohol-related violations on campus from 2002 to 2003; the death of a 23-year-old student in 2002 because of a toxic mixture of alcohol and methadone; and rowdy weekend behavior early in the fall 2004 term that included campus security reports of students being taken to a hospital emergency room with alcohol poisoning.

Wee was a member of a community/campus task force that made the recommendations that led to the new alcohol policy.

"The PTA was advocating that (alcohol policy) and they were very happy when it was implemented. We needed to do that with or without the PTA," said Denise Konan, interim chancellor at UH-Manoa.

Wee said the purpose of the parent group is to provide parents with a network for support. She also said the group is involved with service projects such as community cleanups, collecting donated games and recreational items for the dorms and fundraising for benches and picnic tables.

"We're just trying to work with the university to create a positive, safe environment for students."

But in a letter published in Ka Leo on Sept. 16, junior Robert Whitaker wrote: "It (PTA) is simply not wanted."

He said students are petitioning to dissolve the group and wrote: "To the PTA: disband voluntarily so the student body doesn't have to force you to disband."

Wee said students were outside Aloha Stadium during Sept. 3's football game collecting signatures on a petition calling for the PTA's dissolution. Alan Yang, dean of student services, said a table was set up at Campus Center recently to collect signatures for the petition.

Members of the PTA and ASUH met last week toward resolving their differences.

Teichman said he is more upset that students were not consulted about the alcohol policy.

Katie Barry, a student senator, has drafted a resolution to overturn the policy since ASUH is required to be consulted on all policy decisions.

"These are very unpopular policies, and ASUH was left out of that conversation, but the PTA was included," Barry said.

Cambra has said numerous student groups were included in the discussion and review of the alcohol policy, including the Graduate Student Organization and ASUH.

Masuda said parents should not be involved in campus life because college is the time students learn to deal with problems on their own. "How will we learn to be independent if parents are always right there?" Masuda said.

However, Kim Anthony, 19, likes the idea of a parent organization. "Parents should be involved with their child," said Anthony. She said if the group gives support to parents with students in college, she has nothing against it.

But Anthony said the PTA should stay out of university politics and dorm life.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.