Case Study: Cyberbullying

1. Case Study: Cyberbullying Eric R. Young, Taylor Police, and Deven Siesel

2. Facts of the Case • Panorama College Information • Ariana’s Campus Involvement • Kathy’s Campus Involvement • A Facebook page was created displaying Kathy in a very poor image and was created at the same time Ariana was on Facebook as well as several other students • Kathy has been seeing a counselor regularly for unstable emotional issues

3. Facts cont. • Kathy and Ariana’s past relationship • Public and private disputes over the last several days • Ariana told Matt that she documented a party involving Kathy and the others causing retaliation, BSA is in a rift which is causing the Black population on campus to be deeply affected • Ariana’s parents are major donors of the institution • Lawyers are involved on both sides • The college president has been notified of this situation

4. Key Actors • Ariana Jackson – Black Student Association President. • Kathy Shapiro – Black Student Association Treasurer.   • Matt Millman– Director of Residential Education • Sharon Rodriguez – Resident Director • Charlotte Patterson – Director of Student Activities • Madelyn Caruso – Dean of Students • Brian Bennington – Campus Psychologist • Paul Lee – Director of Information Technology

5. Immediate & Short Term Decision Issues Immediate: • Is Kathy in an acceptable mental condition? • Should Ariana be on suspension from her position before the conduct process occurs? • What information is relevant to present to supervisor during the meeting tomorrow? Short Term: • What conduct actions should be taken? • What steps should be taken to put out this situation prior to the conduct process?

6. Long Term Decision Issues Long Term: Should a social media policy be added to the university code of conduct? • What work should be done to reestablish the Black community on campus?

7. Additional Information Needed • Double check the party documentation • Who actually created the webpage • Who has been harassing Ariana at meetings • Are lawyers permitted in the hearing process under institutional rules? • What is the mission of the student conduct process? • Is there a social media policy within the student code of conduct? • History of Ariana’s and Kathy’s relationship • Precedent of harassment cases on campus • Matt’s tenure/experiences at the institution

8. Relevant Theories • Gilligan’s Moral Development • Josselson’s Identity Development • Sanford’s Challenge and Support Model • Processual Leadership Theory • Social Change Model • Professional Ethics • Jacoby’s SPAR Model • FERPA

9. Alternative Solution #1 and Theory • Concede to external and internal pressures • No judicial process- only developmental conversations • Ethic of Care

10. Pros and Cons #1 Pros Cons Pros: • Students are happy • Donors happy • President not upset with you • Keep a good staff member • Issue solved quickly • Lack of development potential • Lack of consequences for students • No incentive to change behaviors

11. Alternative Solution #2 and Theory • Hold the case until all information is discovered; utilize Restorative Justice • Room change for each student • No contact directive ordered for the two, including BSA meetings • Ethic of Care • Processual Leadership Theory • FERPA • Social Change Model

12. Pros and Cons #2 Pros Cons • Potential for student development • Students work it out through a civil process • No lawyers • Keep donors • Student’s voices heard and represented to administration • Process is longer • Pressure from parents and other administrators • Students lose potential support systems • Parents withdraw students • Other students continue to fuel the fire and students ignore the no contact directive

13. Alternative Solution #3 and Theory • Provide a workshop for members of BSA on handling controversy with civility. • Ethic of Care • Challenge and Support Model • Gilligan’s Moral Development • Social Change Model

14. Pros and Cons #3 Pros Cons • Provides students with resources • Allows them to better handle situations like this in the future without outside aid • Allows all members to have an educational experience • Reunites the black student population on campus • Potential backlash from the group members not involved • Students do not attend, therefore do not get the benefits

15. Alternative Solution #4 and Theory • Develop and hold a “Cyber bullying Workshop” • With BSA • Open to everyone • Josselson’s Identity Development • Gilligan’s Moral Development • Social Change Model

16. Pros and Cons #4 Pros Cons • Provides students with resources • Helps them to better handle situations like this in the future without outside aid • Allows all members to have an educational experience • Reunites the black student population on campus • Potential backlash from the group members not involved • Students do not attend, therefore do not get the benefits

17. Alternative Solution #5 and Theory • Add a no tolerance social media policy to the University Code of Conduct with strict guidelines and harsh punishments. • Best Practices • Ethic of Justice

18. Pros and Cons #5 Pros Cons • Deters students from cyber bullying • Easy to follow protocol should cyber bullying take place • May prevent future events • Campus community may not support the harshness of the policy • Administrators may not support and therefore allow its creation

19. Alternative Solution #6 and Theory • Reach out to the Black Community on campus and see what their needs and wants are to establish a strong relationship with the university and their members. • Other minority groups on campus as well? • Challenge and Support • Ethic of Care • Josselson

20. Pros and Cons #6 Pros Cons • Reunites Black Community • Strengthens BSA • Potentially brings Kathy and Ariana back together • Shows campus commitment to diversity and inclusion • Other minority groups on campus may feel neglected

21. Alternative Solution #7 and Theory • Advisor Training Session • Challenge and Support (How-To) • Social Change Model

22. Pros and Cons #7 Pros Cons • Gives advisor resources to work with the students and how handle these types of situations and how to interact with group members • Potentially lose advisors that do not want to or have the time for the training

23. Alternative Solution #8 and Theory • Proceed with the conduct process • Students each violated portions of the student code of conduct; they should be sanctioned. • Professional Ethics • Gilligan’s Moral Development • Josselson’s Identity Development

24. Pros and Cons #8 Pros Cons • Everything handled fairly • Conclusion derived from facts • Students have opportunity to learn from sanctions • Other students see this as an example • Lose angry donors • President upset with you • Lose a good staff member • Lose a student to transfer process • Send a student into deeper depression

25. Plan of Action (Immediate) • Move both girls into new resident halls. Establish a “no contact” directive ordered for the two, including BSA meetings. • Continue to acquire all the facts of the case.

26. Plan of Action (Short) • Develop and hold a “Cyber bullying Workshop” to help inform, gain awareness and help prevent cyber bullying in the future. (See Handout) • Conduct an advisor training on organizational development • Hold formal conduct meetings with each of the students and assign sanctions

27. Plan of Action (Long) • Add a no tolerance social media policy to the University Code of Conduct with strict guidelines and harsh punishments. • Reach out to the various minority student organizations on campus and see what their needs and wants are in order to establish a strong relationship between the university and their members.

28. References • Alvarez, C. (2009). Controversy with Civility. In Komives, S. R. & Wagner, W. (Eds.), Leadership for a Better World (263-293). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass • Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. • Gerzon, M. (2006). Leading through Conflict: How successful leaders transform differences into opportunities. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Press . Retrieved from: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/5351 • Jacoby, B. (1993). Service delivery for a changing student constituency. In M.J. Barr (Ed.), The handbook of student affairs administration (pp. 468-480). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass • Kaplin, W. A., & Lee, B. A. (2009). A legal guide for student affairs professionals. (2nd ed.). New York: Jossey Bass. • Kezar, A.J., Carducci, R., Contreras-McGavin, M. (2006). Rethinking the “L” word in higher education: The revolution in research on leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Shapiro, J.P., & Gross, S.J. (2008). Ethical educational leadership in turbulent times: (Re)Solving Moral Dilemmas. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. • Stage, F. K., & Hubbard, S. M. (2012). Linking theory to practice: Case studies for working with college students. (3rd ed.). New York: Rutledge.