
Law, Policy & Governance
This competency area emphasizes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions relating to policy development processes used in various contexts, the application of legal constructs, compliance/policy issues, and the understanding of governance structures and their impact on one’s professional practice.
CCEL External Opportunities Terms of Service & Privacy Policy
As a Career Specialist in Azusa Pacific University’s Center for Career and Community Engaged Learning, I oversee some aspects of Employer Relations. As such, integrating university terms of service and privacy policies into our Center’s external opportunity and employer relations partnership procedures is crucial. To ensure the legal and ethical protection of the university, students, employers, and community partners (Schulte, 2017), I took on the task of updating and integrating the Center’s terms and policies directly into our Center’s communication methods with external institutions and employers. This document serves as a guide for all center personnel when engaging in conversations with or approving events/opportunities from external employers and organizations. Additionally, I have played an active role in updating our center's Handshake Policy for Employers. Both are Designed in an easy-to-follow format and serve as vital resources to ensure our Center’s policies are ethically abided in all external communications and interactions with interested partners. This process placed me far outside of my comfort zone as it challenged my comprehensive understanding of center policy, and the application of such regulations within my work as a student affairs professional.
Institutional Response to Legal Issues Reflection & Response Paper
One of the assignments for the Legal and Ethical Issues in College Student Affairs course was a group paper that specifically analyzed three unique institution types and their responses to various legal issues. My group chose to compare local community colleges, public state institutions, and private institutions in their legal policies regarding Alchohol use, Mental Health and Wellness/Students of Concern services, and Title IX procedures. Completing this assignment meant conducting research on these specific institution’s policies, then familiarizing ourselves with various national and state laws, such as the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (1989), The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (1974), and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (2018). Comparing these institutions and their policies provided me with an in-depth look at the intricate relationship between national and state law and university policy. This assignment also helped me develop an appreciation for the effort that student affairs professionals make in order to ensure the safety and ethical care of their students and institutional communities.
Trending Legal & Ethical Issues On-Campus: Cannabis, Social Media & Undocumented Students
The final assignment for the course, Legal & Ethical Issues, required researching various institution types and their unique legal and ethical standpoints on controversial topics, such as: the use of cannabis on campus, social media’s influence on freedom of speech, and services for undocumented students. All three of these topics have appeared in both small and major legal cases across the nation’s institutions. For example, federal law requires institutions to provide students with resources to prevent drug and alcohol misuse (Jones, Jones, & Peil, 2018). Additionally, there has been a surge of legal cases regarding students taking legal action against their institutions trying to censor students’ social media posts (Hartocolli, 2021). Lastly, the long history of legal and ethical treatment towards undocumented students across the nation (Boundless, 2021). By researching what legal and ethical standpoints institutions must establish and navigate to address these hot topics, this assignment challenged me in identifying my own standpoints. This assignment supports the competency development needed within my personal student affairs practice, as I learn to navigate changing institutions and serve changing student populations.