Case 36. Dual Roles and Student Confidentiality

Situation

Professor Reza Shaw served as Dean of Students at her university, but has recently returned to the Sociology Department and taken up her former duties. In her role as dean, she had reason to counsel Felix Wrights, a student who had been involved in a heated, and disrespectful exchange with a faculty member. At that time, she had learned that this student had a police record. He had been involved in an assault on another student in high school. Before a faculty meeting in her Department, she overhears a junior faculty member, Yolanda Belton, describe an angry exchange she has just had with a student in class. Professor Belton is visibly shaken by the incident and volunteers that she is "a little afraid" of what the student might do because of the level of his anger. Professor Shaw thinks that it is very likely that the student in question is Felix Wright.

Questions

1.    What options does Professor Shaw have?  
2.    What obligation does Professor Shaw have to the student she counseled whether or not she offered him assurances of confidentiality?
3.    What obligation does Professor Shaw have to her junior colleague, Professor Belton, if any?  To her institution? Its students? Her other colleagues?
 


     Reflect on the above questions and form your own answers before clicking the Discussion key to review the commentary provided with this case.

Discussion

The issue here is health and safety, perhaps not a imminent as in the case above, but nonetheless a concern for Professor Belton. The ethical issue involves the deliberation of whether the threat to health and safety overrides the obligation of confidentiality. The first thing that Professor Shaw should do, whether or not she suspects that the student is Felix Wright, is to provide Professor Belton with any information and assistance that she can given her senior status and experience. Professor Shaw has been in a position where she is likely to have greater knowledge of university resources and procedure in such situations. Are there persons on campus with whom the Professor Belton might consult, such as the university police? Professor Shaw may want to ascertain whether or not the student who Professor Belton feels is threatening is Felix. She may ask Professor Belton directly for the student's name. If it is and she is concerned about the ethics of revealing his name and her knowledge to Professor Belton, she might consult the current Dean of Students (as noted above) and university legal counsel. Under no circumstances should Professor Shaw name Felix until she consults the current Dean of Students.