Ethical Analysis #1
Decision Maker
The decision maker in this case is the Resident Advisor (RA). The position includes a unique environment of living where you work. Along with living on a floor with first year or upper-class students, the duties include creating a safe living space, acting as a mentor for the students, and being a person of authority.
Position Description and Responsibilities
An RA creates a community in the dorm by putting on programs throughout the year, being a presence in the hall, and being a resource for campus life. In this case we are in a first year hall where there are 4 programs a semester. The dimensions for each program include academic, multicultural and community. Academic programs aim to help students with the transition between high school level work and college level work. Multicultural programs introduce the students to the diversity at JMU. Community programs aim to bring the hall closer and facilitate the maximum number of relationships possible. As an RA the main goal is the safety of the residents therefore there is duty every night. As mentioned in the case study duty consists of sitting in the RA office to be available for residents as well as duty tours.
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The responsibility of the RA in this case study is to emphasize her role as a policy enforcer and as person who cares about her residents. The policy enforcer role includes holding all residents, even her own, responsible for their own actions. The other role she plays involves caring for the residents in this case and showing compassion and understanding in order to keep the situation from escalating and keep the communication open.
Code of Ethics
The codes of ethics that are applicable in this case study are the Resident Advisor Ethical Standards and the Personal Conduct Policy. The Ethical Stands for Office of Residence Life includes a very relevant statement to this case, “The Residence Life staff member has a dual responsibility to both the student and the university.” In this case this is where the ethical dilemma lies between Casey’s responsibilities toward the student and the university. The Ethical Standards outline what is expected of a member of Residence Life including loyalty, respect, and confidentiality. The Personal Conduct Code applies to this situation because it states that the RA should, “confront and document every incident encountered.” This means that Casey is in a situation that is in the nature of the job. In Casey’s decision both documents need to be taken into consideration to ensure an ethical decision is made.