Abstract
This case study examines ethical leadership issues for both student leadership roles and university employees interacting closely with students, specifically looking at gossip and overstepping boundaries. Graduate students in Student Affairs graduate programs may struggle to name inappropriate behaviors or report them properly if they have not had to do so before or if they lack a role model or mentor to demonstrate how to hold peers and students accountable. This can be particularly difficult when the behaviors are not necessarily violations of policy but rather contribute to a negative environment or culture.
Primary Characters
Giovanna (she, her, hers, ella) – Giovanna is a first-year master’s student in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program. She is an out of state student, excited to work with the Center for Multicultural Engagement and specifically in advising multicultural student organizations for her Spring Practicum experience. She was a member of her undergraduate institution’s Association of Chicanx Activists (ACHa) and is eager to serve as the primary advisor to the organization as part of her practicum.
Anais (she, her, hers, ella) – Anais is a junior pursuing a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience with hopes of becoming a pediatrician in an underserved community much like the one she grew up in. She is one of three programmers in ACHa for the academic year and is passionate about community service and wellness.
Cameron (she, her, hers) – Cameron is the Assistant Director for Student Organizations within the Center for Multicultural Engagement. She was the graduate assistant for the center in the previous academic year before she was offered a full-time position.
Daniel (he, him, his) – Daniel is the Director of the Center for Multicultural Engagement and both Cameron’s and Giovanna’s direct supervisor in their respective roles.
Keywords: student organizations, student leaders, peer influence, advising
Context and Case
Institutional Context
Sagewood University is a medium-sized private, liberal arts university in the Southwest region of the United States. Throughout SU’s history 16-20% of its undergraduate students identify as Hispanic or Latino, and Latino/a/x students have built strong networks within the institution as well as enduring identity-based student organizations. Other minority groups have also formed respective student organizations though their overall number of students participating in these groups are consistently low. SU’s Center for Multicultural Engagement has been a steady supporter of these student organizations as well as a respected and well-known office on campus.
Case
Giovanna is a month into the spring semester of her first year in the Student Affairs and Higher Education master’s program at Sagewood University and feeling positive about her practicum site. She was initially hesitant to work in the Center for Multicultural Engagement as an advisor to the Association of Chicanx Activists (ACHa) and program coordinator for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April in collaboration with the university’s Women’s Center. As a former ACHista (member of ACHa) at her undergraduate institution, she was nervous to sell herself short by potentially repeating an experience she had as an undergraduate. Those fears quickly subsided as she met executive board members and learned about the various issues they advocated for. She enjoyed attending body meetings and looked forward to one on one’s with each executive board member.
Today, Giovanna meets with Anais, one of three programmers in ACHa. Anais’ passion area is health and wellness, and she enjoys incorporating that lens into ACHa’s activism and community service. With Sexual Assault Awareness month on the horizon in April, the e-board unanimously voted for Anais to lead programming efforts and speak on behalf of ACHa at any public events. ACHa participates in annual programs such as relationship skill building workshops, Take Back the Night march, and Denim Day among other campus-wide events in collaboration with the campus’ Women’s Center.
Anais’ big task now is to present ACHa’s efforts at the next Multicultural Commons Coalition meeting and encourage peers to participate. The coalition meeting includes executive board members and regular members from the campus’ Black Students Union, Asian Students Association, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA), and International Students Organization.
When Giovanna mentions the coalition meeting and asks if Anais has thought about what she would like to say, Anais grows quiet and looks down at her feet. Giovanna lets Anais know that its normal to be nervous and they can work on her remarks together if she’d like. “It’s not that,” Anais says. Giovanna is uncertain about what to say next; she has never seen Anais like this and is concerned. Anais says, “I don’t want this to change how you see me, but I was sexually assaulted in my freshman year. I went through the Title IX process, and nothing really happened, and I’ve gone to counseling for this so I’m better now, but I just don’t know if I can handle being the face of all our Sexual Assault Awareness events.” Anais continues to share how she wants to be a team player and support her peers, especially since they believe in her so much, but she is unsure if she can handle being immersed in the topic from here until May.
Giovanna asks if Anais has shared this with any of the ACHa executive board members; she’s seen their dynamic and believes that if they knew, they would understand and ask someone else to lead. Tears welling up, Anais shares, “I want to, but I just don’t think I can. We’re all friends but everyone always gossips and shares each other’s business with everyone, especially in the coalition.” Anais continues, “I even feel weird right now because I’m talking to you about this and not Cameron. But she also talks a lot with the e-board members about people’s lives and I don’t want them talking about me.” Giovanna feels heat coming to her face- she is struggling to imagine Cameron gossiping with students, especially as a new full-time employee.
Before leaving her one on one, Giovanna tells Anais that she will discuss this with her supervisor, Daniel, without letting Cameron or the executive board members know, to see if there are alternative ways for Anais to engage with the events without necessarily leading them. Giovanna knows Cameron has a good relationship with Daniel and the various executive boards as she had been the graduate assistant for the Center for Multicultural Engagement last year. Giovanna feels awkward approaching him with this topic and sharing Anais’ concerns about gossip. While she has not personally seen Cameron engage in gossip with students, Anais’ words and emotions feel too vulnerable to ignore.
Discussion Questions
- How might you have responded to Anais in this conversation? How would you navigate Anais’ concerns regarding a full-time staff member engaging in gossip with students?
- What responsibility does Giovanna have in this situation? What about Daniel?
- What follow-up (if any) should there be with Anais? With Cameron?
- What are Anais’ options in this situation? What coping strategies might she use to support herself, or seek support from Giovanna if she remains the lead for SAAM programming?
Author Bio
Alexa Gonzalez (she/her/ella) is a second-year student in Clemson’s Master’s of Student Affairs program and currently serves as a Graduate Community Director. Prior to coming to Clemson, Alexa graduated from the University of San Diego in 2021 and worked at San Diego Community College’s Dreamer Resource Center.