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Levi University: Risking Confidentiality

Shakira Moreta

Salem State University

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Levi University: Risking Confidentiality

Colleges and universities have focused on professional ethics on campus (Couch &

Dodd, 2005). As colleges and universities work to develop future professionals such as lawyers

and accountants, higher education institutions must take responsibility for the corporate scandals

that may occur on campus (Couch & Dodd, 2005). Ethical standards in higher education are to

be set by governing boards (Couch & Dodd, 2005). Higher education institutions mainly focus

on compliance; therefore, formal ethical policies offer guidance for doing what is right, fulfilling

the responsibility colleges and universities have to society and informing faculty and staff of

ethical dilemmas regarding interactions with their students (Couch & Dodd, 2005).

The ACPA Statement of Ethical Principles and Standards was designed to assist student

affairs professionals in controlling their behaviors by presenting them with possible ethical

dilemmas and providing them with standards which they can apply to these issues (ACPA,

2006). The ACPA Statement of Ethical Principles and Standards presents four ethical standards:

professional responsibility and competence, student learning and development, responsibility to

the institution and responsibility to society (ACPA, 2006). Student affairs professionals should

use the ACPA ethical principles to guide their behavior in everyday practice (ACPA, 2006).

Using the ACPA ethical standards, this paper will analyze an ethical dilemma at the

School of Graduate Studies at Levi University (LU). The professional ethical principles will be

applied to the case study to present possible solutions for this ethical dilemma.

ACPA Ethical Standards

The first ethical standard is professional responsibility and competence. The ACPA

ethical standards state that student affairs professionals are responsible for enhancing and

supporting student learning (ACPA, 2006). They are responsible for advocating for their
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students’ well-being and concerns (ACPA, 2006). Student affairs professionals have acquired the

knowledge and skills to demonstrate responsibility in their positions as advisors, counselors,

researchers and teacher (ACPA, 2006). Professional competence is expected of student affairs

professionals in order to complete their duties and their responsibilities (ACPA, 2006).

Student learning and development is the second ethical standard. Student affairs

professionals’ mainly focus on their students’ development (ACPA, 2006). Student development

includes moral, cognitive, physical, emotional, career and personal developments (ACPA, 2006).

It is important that student affairs professionals learn about diverse backgrounds. Using the

appropriate theories, student affairs professionals can address barriers affecting student

development (ACPA, 2006).

Student affairs professionals also have a responsibility to the institution which they work

for (ACPA, 2006). Student affairs professionals are responsible for promoting student

development while supporting the institutions mission, goals, policy, organizational structure and

campus culture (ACPA, 2006).

Lastly, student affairs professionals must demonstrate responsibility to society. Student

affairs professionals are responsible for contributing to their communities (ACPA, 2006). They

must advocate for social justice for the members of their communities and respect individual

differences (ACPA, 2006). By protecting human rights and demonstrating respect for people of

diverse backgrounds, student affairs professionals will also demonstrate multicultural

competence (ACPA, 2006).

Case Study

Levi University is a 4-year public institution. Levi is a Predominantly White Institution

(PWI), yet remains to have the most diverse student population in the state. The university has
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been gone through many changes throughout the school year. Various staff members have been

promoted and others have left the university.

The School of Graduate Studies at LU also houses the School of Continuing Education

and Professional Studies. There is one staff member in the office that works with part-time and

evening students. This staff member advises students during peak registration times,

communicates with students when courses are cancelled, and organizes the Continuing

Education Orientation. Throughout the summer, she had one graduate student assisting her with

assessing data, making phone calls to part-time and evening students regarding course

cancellations and assessing data from commencement.

The Graduate School was understaffed. During the summer the school of graduate

students had to review the data from commencement, coordinate the graduate and continuing

education orientations, communicate with students regarding course requirements they need as

well as cancelled courses, coordinating meetings with students and their program coordinator.

One of the assignments the summer graduate intern was responsible for was researching

graduate students of color experiences with faculty of color. The Associate Dean realized that

although Levi University was the most diverse university in the state, enrollment among graduate

student of color was low. She wanted to coordinate a networking event that would potentially

provide graduate students of color with a sense of belonging on campus as well as make

connections with faculty across campus. In order to create a proposal for this event, the graduate

intern and her supervisor met with the Director of the Diversity and Multicultural Affairs office.

One of the intern’s major assignments for the summer was coordinating the graduate

student orientation and updating the online graduate and continuing education resources pages.

In order to do so, the intern needed administrative access to certain online platforms which
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contained confidential information such as students’ names, phone numbers and addresses.

Being that she was just a graduate intern, she did not have access to this information, therefore

her supervisor who was the associate dean gave her, her username and password to log onto her

email and other online platforms the university uses.

This is conflicting for both the graduate intern and the associate dean. The associate dean

trusted the student enough to use her personal information to send emails on her behalf when

necessary, log into her computer which gave the student access to other files with confidential

information that she would not need to work with, and to an online portal which had courses the

associate dean taught with assignments other students have completed. Had she not given the

student access to her passwords, the graduate orientation would not have been able to be planned

and students would not have the resources they need because there was no one else who had

access that had the time to do it. If the graduate orientation been cancelled, the associate dean not

only did not do what she is required to do, but she would have also not supported the incoming

graduate students. The graduate orientation provides new students with information about all of

the resources available to them during their graduate experience such as Career Services,

Diversity and Inclusion, Campus Police, Financial Aid and the Registrar’s Office.

The intern on the other hand also knew using someone else’s passwords was unethical.

Throughout the summer, she signed into her computer using her supervisors log in information.

She would sign into the student online course platform and worked updating the resources pages

for graduate students and sign onto her supervisor’s email to access her calendar to check her

availability in order for her to organize meetings between her supervisor, other staff members on

campus and herself.

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However, had she chosen not to use the passwords, she would have not been able to

complete her internship. Completing the internship is a requirement for her graduate program.

Along with the internship there was a seminar course. This is something she strongly had to

consider. Along with completing graduate course requirements, the internship was paid. At the

time the intern was also experiencing financial issues. She could not afford not to complete the

internship.

Why is this an ethical dilemma?

Janosik, Cooper, Saunders and Hirt (2015), state that “it is important to know about

confidentiality and student records…” Janosik et al., (2015) discuss the importance of complying

with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). In this case study, the intern and

her supervisor did not comply with FERPA. The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in this case

was aware that she was giving her intern access to sensitive information. Although she trusted

her intern not use her passwords for anything other than the assignments she was given, there

was a possibility that the intern could have looked through sensitive information. The intern was

also aware that she was being trusted with this information, therefore she was at fault as well.

Ethical Standards

The Associate Dean and the intern, has a responsibility to the institution. The ACPA

ethical principle states that student affairs professionals must “contribute to their institution by

supporting its mission, goals, policies and abiding by its procedures” (ACPA, 2006). By

providing her intern with her passwords the Associate Dean and intern did follow the institutions

ethical policies. Not only did the intern have access to students’ information but she had access

to her supervisors’ emails, which provided her access to the privacy of other staff members on

campus (ACPA, 2006).

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Although providing her intern with her log in information did not demonstrate

responsibility to the institution, the work being done for the graduate students throughout the

summer demonstrated their professional responsibility. The intern coordinated the graduate

student orientation. The purpose of the orientation was to present graduate students with the

resources that were available to them in order for them to succeed during their graduate

experience.

Because of her research regarding the networking event for graduate students of color,

the Associate Dean helped her intern build multicultural competence (ACPA, 2006). ACPA

(2006) stated student affairs professionals are to be knowledgeable about the different

backgrounds, cultures and experiences of the student population. The intern and her supervisor

took the time to learn more about the experiences of students of color on college campuses and

their interactions with faculty.

Recommendations

Couch & Dodd (2005) stated “part of that responsibility is helping students develop a set

of ethical standards to guide professional and personal decision-making.” Student affairs

professionals should constantly be thinking about how they can help their students develop

professionally. Although I think this would a hard decision to make, being that graduate

orientation is an event required of the office of graduate studies and in this case, they lost

essential people on their staff, it is important to have conversations with interns and other

colleagues regarding ethical standards.

If I were the intern’s supervisor, I would have discussed this situation with her and

encourage her to have conversations about ethical standards in the future regardless of where she
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works in the future. It is important that students develop an awareness of the importance of

ethical standards and how to apply them in their daily practice.

Conclusion

Addressing ethical dilemmas can be conflicting. As a student affairs, professional you

have to maintain responsibility to your institution, however you may not always be able to do

what is right in the process. A common issue in higher education is lack of resources. In the Levi

University case study, the Graduate Studies office was understaffed which makes it difficult to

properly go about coordinating specific programs that are required from your office. Although I

don’t agree that the intern and her supervisor proceeded with addressing what needed to get done

ethically, I do believe that sometimes you have to consider the bigger picture.
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References

American College Personnel Association (2006). Statement of ethical principles and standards.

Retrieved from www.myacpa.org/au/documents/EthicsStatement.pdf

Couch, S., & Dodd, S. (2005). Doing the right thing: Ethical issues in higher education. Journal

of Family and Consumer Sciences, 97 (3), 20-27.

Janosik, S. M., Cooper, D. L., Saunders, S. A., Hirt, J. B. (2014). Learning through supervised

practice in student affairs (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.