Abstract
This case study will examine ethical dilemmas that student affairs professionals face. It will address the importance of politics and university representation may affect a student or employees experience on campus.
Keywords: Student leaders, cultural competence, ethics.
Key Characters
Dr. LeeAnne Toney (She/Her)- Is the current Director of Student Engagement at Hudson Park University and directly supervises the Associate Director of Student Engagement at HPU. Has been in her role for over ten years. Dr. Toney is white.
Dena Arlington (She/Her)- A current first-generation college student who is a senior at HPU. Dena is a biracial (Egyptian and Vietnamese) woman pursuing a psychology degree.
Jon Doyle (He/They)- Jon is a fifth-year senior pursuing a degree in Political Science. Jon transferred from a community college during their Junior year of college. Jon is Hispanic.
Linsey Admas (She/Her)- Linsey is a sophomore student from rural Georgia. Linsey is currently undeclared but enjoys event planning and mathematics. Linsey is African American.
Ashley Barns (She/Her)- Ashley is a current junior pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in French. Ashley is white.
Timothee Lee (He/Him)- Timothee is a senior pursuing a degree in architecture. This is Timothee second time on the committee (he was on the committee his second year). Timothee is African American.
Jayden Seymoore (She//Her)- Jayden is a junior pursuing a degree in secondary education with a minor in Arabic. Jayden is African American.
Context
You are currently an Assistant Director of Student Engagement at Hudson Park University (HPU). You report to Dr. LeeAnne Toney the Director of Student Engagement at HPU. HPU is a large, public university pf 40,000+ students in western Pennsylvania. Enrollment of racially and ethnically diverse students on campus has been stagnant at the university, as with many other predominately white institutions (PWIs). HPU could be better; there is a lot of work that needs to be done culturally and in DEI initiatives, yet it has come a long way in terms of the diversity of student organizations and course offerings.
Although you oversee student engagement, the responsibilities of your role also include serving as an adviser to different student-run committees for the university. These committees include the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee (MLK Committee), International Student Awareness Committee, Homecoming Committee, and so on.
Hudson Park has had Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations/committees for the past 25 years. The previous committees have been respected, well-known, and the events highly anticipated. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee is comprised of six student leaders. The committee includes Chair of Events Dena Arlington, Chair of Marketing Jon Doyle, Chair of Finance Linsey Admas, Co-Chairs for the week of service Ashley Barns, and Timothee Lee, and Chair of the Keynote speaker Jayden Seymoore.
The MLK Committee was tasked with programming for students, staff, faculty, and the surrounding community in the spring term starting in January and leading up to and throughout Black History Month. The planning of these events takes place during the fall and spring semesters. Each year, the committee chairs work to create an overarching theme for their year which they reveal to the university in January. Choosing a theme for the program is a lengthy process. The board meets every day for a week to discuss their options, goals, and ideas about the theme. During the process of choosing the theme Jon said, “I think we should be intentional, with everything going on I want to ensure what we choose is impactful and memorable.” The committee chose the theme “Resistance, Equality, Disparity, and Justice: When will Enough be Enough?”
Although the students have the freedom to pick the theme, they must consult with Student Affairs Officers (Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students), other university administrators (Vice Provost for Educational Equity and Hudson Park Educational Center), and the university’s partners before the big reveal.
During the meeting between the committee members and administrators, HPU’s Student Affairs officers explained to your committee that the theme was “too radical.” The Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion said the committee should consider alternative ideas and change the theme.
Jayden was upset and responded, “This is not radical at all this is the reality of America! Plus, students are already engaged with topics and information like this.” Upset and hurt by their theme being described as too radical, Jayden and Jon left the meeting in the middle of the conversation. The Dean of Students said, “I cannot allow that theme have HPU’s name associated with it, I agree it is very radical.”
Linsey, Dena, Ashley, and Timothee disagreed and refused to change the theme because they believed it was necessary given current events such as police brutality, heightened visibility of racism in the U.S., and racial profiling on campus, among other issues. Linsey said, “I speak for all of us, as student leaders on campus, at a place where we thought our opinions and ideas were valued. I am hurt. We stand by our theme as it is what is right and justifiable given the climate that we all live in.”
The Student Affairs officers were unhappy with this and requested a private meeting with you. During this meeting, your boss Dr. Toney, encouraged you to help the committee see that they are “too political” and “too radical”. Dr. Toney continued, “Keep in my mind, we are all aware that you are interested in the Associate Director position. This is a perfect way for you to show your commitment to Hudson Park and its reputation.” How do you proceed?
Discussion Questions
- How do you respond in the moment with the campus administrators? How do you share this information with the student organizers?
- What might you have done (if anything) to prevent this situation in the first place? How could the adviser have handled the situation differently?
- What are ethical and legal/policy considerations related to the administrators’ feedback and the students’ rights to free speech? In what situations (if any) should a university’s reputation outweigh students’ rights to free speech?
- Why might the students have been so resistant to changing the theme? What might the implications be for each of them if they continue with their theme? What guidance do you give them given this recent exchange with administrators?
- What are the implications of Dr. Toney’s comments about your interest in a promotion? Is her comment helpful, manipulative, or both? Is it something different all together? How realistic is this and what other sorts of repercussions might you experience for not supporting the university “brand”?
- As you weigh your job, your desire to support students, your possible future at HPU, and your own sense of integrity and ethics in this situation, is there a line you would not cross to stay at HPU (if so, what is that)? What other factors might you consider as you navigate this situation?
Biography
Indyha Fielder (she, her, hers) is the Graduate Community Director for Holmes & McCabe at Clemson University. In undergrad (Penn State University- University Park) and graduate school, Indyha was/is a very involved student leader and has had numerous experiences working with Universities for big events, committees, campaigns, and more. With those experiences, Indyha can shed light on the ethical issues of a student affairs professional.