Engaging in Ethical Student Aid Practices Bonnie Lee Behm, Anna M. Griswold, Barry W. Simmons Sr. 2008 College Board Middle States Forum

Engaging in Ethical Student Aid Practices

Bonnie Lee Behm, Anna M. Griswold, Barry W. Simmons Sr.

2008 College BoardMiddle States Forum


How our experiences and values in-grain a sense of ethics.

What situations come to mind for you when ethics must guide your actions and decisions?

Is ethics simply a matter of doing the right thing?

Focus of this Session

The intersection of ethics and student aid practices as related to:– Student Recruitment, especially for

low-income/disadvantaged students– Undocumented students– Re-distribution of tuition revenues– Adherence to certain regulations and policies– What is best for the student vs. what is best for our

institutions

Confronting Confusion

There is not always a clear black and white answer – one size does not fit all in many situations.

Missions of our institutions differ. What might be right for one school is not right for another.

Thus, ethics might be situational. A set of moral principles should define our

obligations and responsibilities to others.


The Intersection of Ethics and Student-Centered Student Aid Administration

Barry Simmons

Engaging in Ethical Student Aid Practices2008 College Board Middle-States Forum

Ethics (via Latin ethica from the Ancient Greek ἠθική [φιλοσοφία] "moral philosophy", from the adjective of ἤθος ēthos "custom, habit"), a major branch of philosophy, is the study of values and customs of a person or group. It covers the analysis and employment of concepts such as right and wrong, good and evil, and responsibility. It is divided into three primary areas: meta-ethics (the study of the concept of ethics), normative ethics (the study of how to determine ethical values), and applied ethics (the study of the use of ethical values).

(Wikipedia)

Engaging in Ethical Student Aid Practices2008 College Board Middle-State Forum

“Students don’t fail…

only teachers fail.”

When students and their families have financial aid difficulties, who’s driving the failure?

Engaging in Ethical Student Aid Practices 2008 College Board Middle-States Forum

The Simmons Aid Administrator

Facilitator-Steward Continuum


I know no possible way of teaching how to think by the use of formulas or by concise and abrupt shortcuts. I am convinced that anyone who pretends to make this possible is devoid of thought, and is committed to a peculiar doctrine that makes thinking unnecessary.

(Belth, 1977, p.xx)


Hobbes---Social Contract Theoryviews the natural state of things as an ongoing desire and struggle for power and status…influence…. control. This ‘natural state of things’ amounts to chaos where all are equal, physically and mentally.


Hobbes continued

But humans are also rational, sometimes logical, and thus will more than likely create a ‘social contract’ that takes the brutal edge off of the ‘natural state of things.’


Ethics are the ground rules for seeking influence

Ethics are the glue for achieving personal efficacy


Jeremy Bentham--Utilitarianism

The greatest good for the greatest number

Martin Buber---Existentialism

I and Thou Experience and Relationship

Inanimate and Animate

Bottom Line---”The Golden Rule”

Are Ethics Situational?

Changing Orientations Across Adult Stages

Orientation L-2 (10%) L-3 (55%) L-4 (25%) L-5 (10%)

View of others Instruments of own need gratification

Needed to contribute to own self image

Collaborator, delegate, peer

Contributors to own integrity and balance

Level of Self Insight

Low Moderate High Very High

Values Law of Jungle Community Self-determined Humanity

Needs Overriding all others’ needs

Subordinate to community, work group

Flowing from striving for integrity

Viewed in connection with own obligations and limitations

Need to Control Very High Moderate Low Very Low

Communication Unilateral Exchange 1:1 Dialogue True Communication

Organizational Orientation

Careerist Good Citizen Manager Systems Leader

LTC Irving Smith III, PhD. Asst Professor, US Military Academy. Adapted from book, The Mask of Command by John Keegan


©1999 Universal Press Syndicate.


©1999 Universal Press Syndicate.


What are the ethical dimensions of:

Establishing an unrealistically low cost of attendance so you can tout you meet 100% or a high percentage of need

Offering freshman recruiting scholarships for the freshman year only while students and their families are being asked for a four-year commitment

Pursuing optional verification efforts when the final outcome won’t change student eligibility

Targeting aid programs


Pursuing rigorous optional verification efforts to identify isolated anecdotal eligibility issues that have no statistical significance

Monitoring departmental awarding need based named scholarships to students with no need

Encouraging a student to attend your institution at great loan expense when you know they have better financial options at other institutions

Encouraging uncertified loan products


Encouraging borrowing from for-profit and quasi for-profit organizations rather than from non-profit organizations

Imposing limitations on the use of professional judgment because of audit fears/concerns

Counseling a student without listening to what the student has to say

Counseling a student without searching for options


Are there Ethical Absolutes?

Are you a Gate Keeper or a Gate Opener?

Dr. Barry W. Simmons Sr, Director, Va Tech USFA. [email protected]

www.finaid.vt.edu/presentations/collegeboardmiddlestatesforumfeb08


Ethical Intersection in Enrollment

Management

The College Board Middle-States ForumFebruary 13, 2008Bonnie Lee BehmVillanova University

Ethical Intersections in Enrollment Management

Examples of Ethical Issues

Meeting 100% of need

Only meeting percentage of need – gapping

Preferential Packaging


Examples of Ethical Issues

Offering no need based aid – funding merit only

Need blind vs. need aware admission

Assuming low income families are truly economically prepared, even if need is met


How do we respond to these issues when we are faced with competing institutional priorities, reduced budgets, increasing costs?

How do we balance these issues institutionally and personally?


Deliberation, Discussion, Circumstance

Intention and Motivation

Understanding the consequences of our decision

Engaging in Ethical Student Aid Practices2008 College Board Middle-States Forum

Suggested Reading List

Belth, Marc (1977). The process of thinking. New York : McKay. Begley, Paul (2003). New expectations for democratic educational leadership in a global community.

University Council for Educational Administration's Center for the Study of Leadership and Ethics, The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved from http://rockethics.psu.edu/resources/education.pdf .

Buber, Martin (1958). I and thou. (Ronald Gregor Smith, Trans.) New York : C. Scribner's Sons. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Social contract theory. Retrieved from

http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/soc-cont.htm. Keegan, John (1987). The Mask of Command. London: Butler and Tanner Ltd. McPherson, Michael S. & Shapiro, Morton Owen (1998). The student aid game - meeting need and

rewarding talent in american higher education, Princeton University Press, pp. 100-103. Missner, Marshall (Ed.) (2008).Thomas hobbes : leviathan. New York : Pearson Longman. Rachels, James (1999). The elements of moral philosophy. McGraw Hill (paperback). Shafer-Landau, Russ (2004). Whatever happened to good and evil? Oxford University Press. War, Mary (Ed.) (2003). Utilitarianism ; and, on liberty : including mill's ‘essay on bentham' and

selections from the writings of jeremy bentham and john austin. Malden, MA : Blackwell Pub.

Documents

Engaging in Ethical Student Aid Practices Bonnie Lee Behm, Anna M. Griswold, Barry W. Simmons Sr. 2008 College Board Middle States Forum