THE CASE OF THE

PRESSURING PARENTS
BY: CHANDLER MUELLER, SHAKIRA MORETA,
AND CHARLIE HAYCOOK
OVERVIEW
THE CASE OF THE PRESSURING PARENTS

DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF THE ETHICS

WHAT WE WOULD DO (ETHICALLY)

 THE CASE OF THE PRESSURING PARENTS
Grantland University: Large, public, research institution in the southeast

Phil: - Academic Advisor for “undecided” students

-Aids students in completing their general education requirements and then
assigns them a new academic advisor, specific to their major, once declared
-Meets with their first-year, undecided students twice a semester

Ross: - First-year, first semester student

-“Interested” in engineering and has taken a prerequisite, calculus course for
the program
-Phil is Ross’ academic advisor until they formally decide a major
Situation
-Ross discloses that they received an “unsatisfactory” for their calculus course and
is considering dropping the class, however, the course is a prereq for continuing
on in engineering program.

-Ross then describes their particular interest in majoring in psychology but is

pressured by their parents, who had never had the chance to attend college, to
pursue a career that will pay well.

-Ross explains that their parents will no longer support them financially if they
were to go into a field such as psychology and that their sister switched her major
to philosophy and now she has had to become a part time student while working
full time.
Situation Continued:
Ross then states to Phil...

“I really do want to stay here as as student, so what would really help is if you
could talk to my parents and let them know that I’m on track and that this
calculous grade isn’t a big deal and won't hurt me. They might listen to you; I’m
not sure they’ll listen to me if I try to tell them this. This would give me some time
to figure this out and decide what to do.”
WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU...
1. USING THE ACPA/NASPA/CAS ETHICAL
STATEMENTS, DO YOU THINK THIS IS ACTUALLY AN
ETHICAL DILEMMA? WHY OR WHY NOT?

2. DEPENDING ON YOUR RESPONSE TO Q1, HOW

WOULD YOU SUGGEST WE PROCEED?

3. HOW WOULD YOU PROCEED?

OUR RESPONSE: TO FERPA, OR NOT TO
FERPA...
CAS:

Principle I: “We foster an environment where people feel

empowered to make decisions.”

Principle V: “We maintain confidentiality of interactions,

student records, and information to legal private matters.”
OUR RESPONSE: TO FERPA, OR NOT TO
FERPA
ACPA:

2.7: “Refer students to appropriate specialists before

entering or continuing helping a relationship when the
professional’s expertise or level of comfort is exceeded.”

3.4: “Assure that information provided about the institution

is factual and accurate.”
OUR RESPONSE: TO FERPA, OR NOT TO
FERPA
NASPA:

Student Behavior: “Members foster conditions designed to

ensure a student’s acceptance of responsibility for their own
behavior.”

Confidentiality: “They inform all parties of the nature and/or

limits of confidentiality.”
HERE’S WHAT WE THINK PHIL SHOULD DO...
USING STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THEORY:

● BAXTER MAGOLDA:

FORMULAE ---------> CROSSROADS ---------> ???

FIRST OF ALL: DO NO HARM

HERE’S WHAT WE THINK PHIL SHOULD DO...
STEP 1: BE HONEST BUT SUPPORTIVE

● TELL ROSS THAT WE CAN’T HAVE THIS

CONVERSATION, BUT HE CAN!
● MAY BE UNWILLING AT FIRST, BUT WE NEED TO
EMPOWER HIM INTO BECOMING A SELF-AUTHOR
HERE’S WHAT WE THINK PHIL SHOULD DO...
STEP 2: BUILD HIS CASE AND REFER OUT
● NACADA: “...RESPONSIBLE FOR INVOLVING OTHERS,
WHEN APPROPRIATE…”
● POINT ROSS IN THE DIRECTION OF COLLEAGUES IN
OFFICES THAT WILL SUPPORT HIM TOO
○ PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT, CAREER SERVICES,
COUNSELING/HEALTH (FOR PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES)
HERE’S WHAT WE THINK PHIL SHOULD DO...
STEP 2.5: THE CAREER SERVICES APPROACH
● “WHAT CAN I DO WITH THIS MAJOR?”
○ LAY OUT OPTIONS AND STRATEGIES FOR ROSS

● OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK HANDBOOK

○ PROVIDE NATIONAL STATISTICS ON MEDIAN PAY,
ENTRY LEVEL EDUCATION, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND
MORE
HERE’S WHAT WE THINK PHIL SHOULD DO...
STEP 2.5: THE CAREER SERVICES APPROACH
HERE’S WHAT WE THINK PHIL SHOULD DO...
STEP 3: SUPPORTING AFTER THE CONVERSATION

● REACH BACK OUT TO ROSS

● SEE WHAT QUESTIONS HE NOW HAS, BASED ON
HIS DECISION
● HELP ROSS UNDERSTAND THAT HIS DECISIONS
ARE HIS TO MAKE, AND WE’RE HERE TO
SUPPORT HIM
QUESTIONS??