Case Study: Special Web Pages for Special People
A career center wants to do more to attract the minority student population to their office and their web site. The staff brainstormed with a focus group of minority students. Out of the brainstorming session bloomed an idea to develop a web page with resources, employment, and internship opportunities for students of color? One of the staff members checked and discovered that a number of career centers list web resources in their job-search resources for students of color.
Another suggestion was that a staff member be hired who is either African-American or Latino to handle minority students only. In this way, when a minority student walked into the office he or she would feel that there was someone "like them" who could understand their needs.
Questions to consider:
- What are some of the ethical/legal issues that are raised by
these ideas?
- Would it make any difference if the minority web page were
accessible to all students even though the resources were directed
to students of color? What about the job postings?
- Is the hiring suggestion appropriate? Would be there another
way to meet these students' concerns?
- What other options are there to attract minority students to
your programs and services?
Steps to Resolution
1. What relevant facts are known?
a) The career services office wants to "do more to attract the minority student population to use their services".
b) The staff has recommended that a web page is developed for minority students, replete with helpful resources and job listings, and that a counselor of color be hired to work with minority students.
However, we do not know the following:
a) What is the current level of use by minority students? Are there specific problems?
b) Would the new staff person work exclusively with minority students?
2. Identify the NACE Principles in question.
a) The Preamble to the Principles for Professional Conduct includes the following precepts:
*"Maintain an open and free selection of employment opportunities . . ."
*"Maintain a recruitment process that is fair and equitable to candidates and to employing organizations."
b) Career Services Principle #6-c and 6-e - "Career services professionals shall maintain EEO compliance and follow affirmative action principles in career services activities in a manner that includes:
*6-c - Informing protected groups about employment opportunities, including those occupational areas where they are underrepresented."
*6-e - Developing awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural differences and the diversity of students, and providing responsive services".
c) Employer Principle #6-a - "Recruiting, interviewing, and hiring individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or disability, and providing reasonable accommodations upon request."
3. What are some of the ethical/legal issues that are
raised by these ideas?
From an ethical perspective, one can pose the question "Is
it appropriate and fair for the office to provide specialized resources
and information to a particular group?" Also, if services are
being offered for one group, minority students, should comparable
services be offered to other groups such as international students,
women, non-traditional students, etc?
From a legal perspective, will the office be discriminating
against the other populations by not providing equal access to all
information available?
According to the NACE Professional Standards for College and University Career Services, it is acceptable to provide resources for special populations who have unique needs related to career development and employment (page 15 of Professional Standards for College and University Career Services publication). Also, in the Principles for Professional Conduct, Principle 6-c states: Career services professionals shall maintain EEO compliance and follow affirmative action principles in career services activities in a manner that includes: Informing protected groups about employment opportunities, including those occupational areas where they are underrepresented and developing awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural differences and the diversity of students, and providing responsive services.
4. Would it make any difference if the minority web page were
accessible to all students even though the resources were directed
to students of color? What about the job postings?
If the decision is made to design a web page for minority students,
it should only include resources targeted to that group, not job
postings and should be accessible to all students. The job postings
should be included in the office's current jobs' database with the
provision that "women and minorities are encouraged to apply."
Since it is inferred that job listings include "employment
and internship opportunities," having a separate web page with
job listings for a selected population violates the preamble precept
of an "open and free selection of opportunities" because
it restricts access to other students. In addition, having a web
page only for minority students may suggest that the precept of
"maintain a recruitment process that is fair and equitable
to candidates and to employing organizations" is violated,
and, at the very least, there is the perception of preferential
treatment.
5. Is the hiring suggestion appropriate? Would there be another
way to meet these students' concerns?
As stated in the Professional Standards for College and University
Career Services, career services must embrace fair employment practices
and must be proactive in attracting and retaining a diverse staff.
Also, Employer Principle #6-a states that "Recruiting,
interviewing, and hiring individuals without regard to race, color,
national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or disability,
and providing reasonable accommodations upon request."
The career center in this case is the employer and should abide
by this principle when hiring.
Some suggestions in the hiring process are to target recruitment efforts for the position to include employment resources specifically for minority candidates, and indicate that women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
Another point to consider in pursuing the hiring of a counselor of color to work with minority students may reinforce the erroneous assumption that only minority members can help other minority group members.
Other ways to meet the student's concerns:
* The office environment should be comfortable and welcoming for all populations and that all publications and marketing materials (including the office web site) reflect the diversity of the campus population.
* All counselors should be trained in the unique issues and resources for meeting the needs of minority students.
6. What other options are there to attract minority students
to your programs and services?
* Initiate partnerships and joint programs with other campus offices
representing special populations to make students aware of the services
and resources available and to encourage participation in career
services.
* Collaborate with departments and minority organizations to provide
educational programs to help minority students, as well as other
special populations.
* Continue to develop the student network by periodically soliciting
feedback from minority students about their needs and concerns.
