Case Study: Trouble in River City
Greenwood College has an internship program whereby students can receive academic credit for work related to their course of study. Many organizations participate in the program and provide students with these opportunities. Crestwood Technologies has a 16-year relationship with the school and many students have interned there. This semester there have been some unusual occurrences at this organization:
- One student quit during the middle of the semester.
- A second student was terminated for breaking housing rules and told to leave the company-provided housing within 24 hours. She ended up hitching a ride home.
- A third student contracted meningitis and had to be hosptalized.
Neither the career services director nor the supervising faculty were notified of these occurrences. When the director found out, she called the company. She was told that because this was an employment matter, the company had to treat that information confidentially. However, the company has always treated students like interns. The students are paid wages, but do not receive vacation or health or workers' compensation benefits.
The director was upset about not having been contacted, yet there was nothing in the participation agreement between the school and the employer that obligated the employer to do so. The director is concerned on several counts. These students are enrolled in a course (albeit non-credit) verified by the registrar's office. When the students leave the work site prematurely, for whatever reason, they are considered as having dropped the course and are no longer enrolled in school. The director is concerned about the liability while the student is on the work site, and also after the student quits or is terminated from the internship, and before the student commences taking courses again. Also, students who are terminated mid-stream can lose scholarships. Compounding the situation is that a significant number of students are slated to go out on these assignments this summer.
Questions to consider:
- What are the ethical obligations of the employer to the school
in these circumstances?
- Does the fact these are student interns and this is an educational
program obligate the employer to report about this when something
happens pertaining to the student's academic or personal status?
- Would your answer be different, if the internship was not part of the school's program? Does receipt of academic credit make a difference?
- Should the employer consider the effect of the student's academic
status, including possible loss of scholarship, prior to terminating
a student and or informing the school?
- What role should the faculty/career services director play at
this point?
- What are their obligations, if any, to students seeking to intern with this employer this summer?
Steps to Resolution
1. What relevant facts are known?
a) The employer has had a long-standing relationship (16 years) with Greenwood College and, consequently, many students have worked as interns for them.
b) A significant number of interns are scheduled to work for the company in the next term.
c) There is an agreement between the school and the employer, but there was no specific provision that required the employer to inform the college of occurrences such as these.
However, we do not know the following:
a) Did Crestwood Technologies offer to provide any assistance to the students in these "unusual circumstances", i.e., medical treatment or transportation?
b) Were the parents informed of these events?
c) Why did the one student quit?
d) Were these circumstances actually "unusual" or are they the norm at the organization?
2. Identify the NACE Principles in question.
a) Employer Principle #2 - "professional competence." "Employment professionals will know the recruitment and career development field as well as the industry and the employing organization that they represent, and work within a framework of professionally accepted recruiting, interviewing, and selection techniques."
b) Employer Principle #7 - "confidentiality of student information." "Employment professionals will maintain the confidentiality of student information, regardless of the source . . . . .There will be no disclosure of student information to another organization without the prior written consent of the student, unless necessitated by health and/or safety considerations."
3. What are the ethical obligations of the employer to the school in these circumstances?
a) Because the employer was working in partnership with the school to provide these learning experiences to the students and that, moreover, this partnership was long-standing (16 years), the employer has the responsibility to inform the college of these "unusual circumstances." In other words, one would reasonably expect that this information would have been shared with the college, and it's in keeping with Principle #2 that employers should "work within a framework of professionally accepted . . . . techniques". Further, given the possible liability of the college for any injuries or harm to their students, notifying the college is critical. Moreover, the safety and health considerations of the students who hitched a ride home and contracted meningitis, respectively, would have necessitated disclosure of this information, as noted in Principle #7, to the college.
b) Further, because of the ramifications to the student and to the college of their quitting in the middle of the semester (loss of student status and subsequent loss of scholarships and other financial aid and housing privileges, as well as possible liability by the institution for any harm that may come to the student), this "unusual circumstance" should have also been disclosed to the college.
4. Does the fact these are student interns and this is an educational
program obligate the employer to report about this when something
happens pertaining to the student's academic or personal status?
Yes, the employer has an obligation to report any change in status
of the interns to the college for these reasons:
a) the employer has had a long-standing partnership with the college to provide these educational experiences and, as such, they should not make decisions unilaterally;
b) safety and health considerations necessitate the disclosure of this information; and
c) the serious ramifications of students' losing their student status necessitates the sharing of this information.
5. Would your answer be different if the internship was not
part of the school's program? Does the receipt of academic credit
make a difference?
Yes and no. Yes, because the receipt of academic credit does have
serious impacts upon a student who quits or is discharged from the
work site before the end of the semester and because the awarding
of academic credit requires a higher level of interaction between
the college and the employer, i.e., a stronger partnership. No,
because even if the internship did not receive academic credit,
and hence, the relationship was less formal between the college
and the employer, the nature of the situations are disturbing and
merit disclosure to the college.
6. Should the employer consider the effect of the student's
academic status, including possible loss of scholarship, prior to
terminating a student and or informing the school?
Yes, but in doing so, the employer should exercise careful judgment
to ensure the application of fair and consistent standards in all
other similar situations. However, a student's academic status should
not preclude the student from complying with company policies and
procedures. The company should follow normal disciplinary policies
and procedures as with any other intern or employee of the company
(e.g., some policy violations are grounds for immediate dismissal,
where other violations may require a verbal or written warning,
or a corrective action plan).
7. What role should the faculty/career services director lay at this point?
a) They should consult with the college's legal counsel to determine whether they may be liable for any harm that comes to students on internship or other experiential education assignments while they are on the work site, and also after a student quits or is terminated and before they are enrolled on campus again.
b) They should seek answers to the questions outlined in #1 and discuss the "unusual circumstances" with the employer to determine what actually happened.
c) Based on the employer's response and the college's investigation, they should decide whether to continue their relationship with the employer.
d) If they do decide to continue the relationship, they should revise the participation agreement that requires the employer to notify the school of serious circumstances such as these.
8. What are their obligations, if any, to students seeking to
intern with this employer this summer?
They should take quick action to determine through their discussion
with the employer and possible further investigation (i.e., interviewing
other interns) whether Greenwood Technologies provides a safe and
sound working environment. If it does not, then they should assist
the students in obtaining other work experiences for the summer.
Additionally, the participation agreement should be revised to include,
if it does not, information for the student that describes the expectations
and policies/procedures of the employer as well as the risks of
losing a scholarship and other related student opportunities or
benefits of the internship program.
