| While legal and ethical issues have always been present in higher education and college student affairs practice, it is recognized that our society has become increasingly litigious over the years. Therefore, institutions of higher education and college student affairs professionals need to become well versed in contemporary legal and ethical issues that affect how we interact and work with students.  As part of the Legal and Ethical Issues in College Student Affairs course, I attended the 16th Annual Legal Issues in Higher Education Conference hosted by the University of Vermont. During this conference, I learned about legislation that can affect the direction of higher education (i.e., Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education's Report on the State of Higher Education), American Disability Act compliance laws, institutional responsibilities, duty of care to sexual assault survivors, and best and legal practices for student conduct adjudication processes. However, personally, one of the most important outcomes of this conference was that I have become more aware and conscientious of some of the legal implications for student affairs work. While I do not feel completely competent in this area, the course and attending this conference has given me a greater level of confidence to think critically through legal and ethical issues that I may face in my career.
The following are a few assignments I completed in the Legal and Ethical Issues in College Student Affairs class that have contributed to my growth in this area: ώ PowerPoint Presentation summarizing Bickel, R., & Lake, P. (1999). The Rights and Responsibilities of the Modern University: Who Assumes the Risk of College Life? Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. ώ Legal & Ethical Issues Annotated Webliography (online resources) ΛΛΛΛ
More and more demands are being placed on student affairs professionals to conduct research and contribute to the current body of knowledge. Practical scholarship is particularly important to student affairs because research can be used to inform practice; the same way that practice can inform research. Throughout this graduate program, I have had several opportunities that have helped me develop "an understanding of the basic liability and contractual issues involved in college student affairs practice." For example, in the Today's College Student class I had to conduct a qualitative study where I had to get Institutional Review Board approval (IRB) for my study. While it was not the most fun experience, going through the process helped me understand that I need to follow certain policies and procedures to ensure, that as a researcher/practitioner, I do not cause any harm to the study's participants and that I uphold the greatest level of confidentiality, professionalism, and research ethics. Below is the Research Proposal I submitted to Azusa Pacific's IRB. ώ Today's College Students IRB Research Proposal ΛΛΛΛ  I believe that college is a great time for students to learn and discuss an array of issues; even those that may make them feel uncomfortable. A great part of my role at Cal Poly Pomona is to provide avenues and a safe space for students to have these types of conversations. I am committed to ensuring that students have intentional and well-designed programs where they can share their points of view. One of the most important things I have learned from working with students is that I have to do more than just provide encouragement and opportunities. I have a responsibility to provide students with information and other tools that will help them make the most informed decisions when they engage in any form of activism or dialogue. Below is Cal Poly Pomona's free speech policy, which I have used as a tool to inform students about their rights and responsibilities as students.
ώ Cal Poly Pomona's Interim Free Speech Policy |
