ERIC Number: EJ1173178
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0897-5264
EISSN: N/A
Developmental Complexity in Student Conduct: An Extended Case Analysis of Student Board Members
Bittinger, Joshua D.; Reif, Gabriel; Kimball, Ezekiel W.
Journal of College Student Development, v59 n2 p243-248 Mar-Apr 2018
College students frequently serve on boards that hear cases of alleged student misconduct. These students contribute to decisions that can affect their peers' lives and make their colleges vulnerable to litigation and negative media coverage. It is critical that student board members carefully interpret all information presented in disciplinary proceedings and consistently apply institutional procedures and relevant laws in order to both protect their institutions and ensure fair outcomes for students involved in the conduct process. For student board members, varied levels of cognitive and moral reasoning and development may further shape students' decision-making and challenge them as they organize, interpret, and evaluate voluminous, often contradictory information before rendering a judgment. For this qualitative study of the cognitive and moral development of students who adjudicate disciplinary cases, the authors aimed to determine these students' ability to perform their duties adequately. They utilized the extended case method to explore how well theories of cognitive development (Baxter Magolda, 1992) and moral development (Rest, Narvaez, Thoma, & Bebeau, 2000) reflected the experiences of student hearing board members. The participants in this study were drawn from an academic course intended to help train student hearing board members at a large public university (LPU). Data analysis included observation of class activities and review of student assignments. Findings indicated that using undergraduate students to determine the responsibility of their peers who have been accused of violating student conduct codes may be problematic.
Descriptors: Student Behavior, Case Studies, Student Leadership, Boards of Education, Qualitative Research, Cognitive Development, Moral Development, Undergraduate Students, Case Method (Teaching Technique), Board of Education Role, Ethnography, Observation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A