Fido may bring you the morning paper and a sense of comfort — but what would you think about students bringing him to the school dorms?

Some say it’s not the best idea.

Stephens College in Columbia, Mo. is hoping to smooth the transition of some anxious freshman by allowing 30 of them to bring their pet to campus when they arrive in the fall.

“I recognize this as being a trend that is tied directly to the whole notion of helicopter parenting,” Dianne Lynch, the president of Stephens told The New York Times.

Stephens joins a growing number of institutions allowing pets on campus – about a dozen all together.

Good idea? Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz isn’t so sure. He believes this may slow the transition for some students.

“By having your pet there, you could have an excuse not to talk to people,” Dr. Koplewicz said. He also worries allowing a student to have a pet might be a quick fix for a more serious mental health problem, like depression.

But others think becoming known as a “pet-friendly” college helps increase their competitive edge when recruiting top students.

How do you feel about pets on college campuses? Let us know in the comments below.

Tags: dormitories, pets