Daniel Salter
Penn State University
Editor

Stuart Brown
StudentAffairs.com
Executive Editor

Case Study
The "Pay Back" Site

The following case study is offered as a means to explore emerging issues related to technology and student affairs practice. The reader is encouraged to read Stages' (1993) book on case studies.If you have a reaction to the case, or a reaction to someone else's reaction, please post it below.

The Setting

Worthington College is a renown liberal arts college in the Midwest. WC enjoys a reputation for "forward thinking" and has built collaborative relationships with several business in town. The computer science program at Worthington is nationally recognized; admittance is competitive.

The People

Svetlana Vinkoff is a counseling psychologist at Worthington College. She has had weekly sessions with Steven Turner for the past month and a half. Steve is currently trying to dissolve a relationship with his partner of two years, Robert Martin. Both men are juniors who were recently admitted into WC's computer science program. Steve wants out of the relationship with Bob and has come to Dr. Vinkoff for help.

The Situation

At this week's session, Dr. Vinkoff learns that the break-up has become "stormy", at least according to Steve. Bob seems to have become quite angry at the outcome and has set-up a "pay-back" page on his personal website at the college. The "payback page" has nude photos of Steve, many of which have been digitally altered for maximum negative effect. Steve is concerned because he knows that prospective employers often view the websites of students. During their session, Dr. Vinkoff and Steve pull-up Bob's site and find that Steve is telling the truth.

Your Role

You are the Dean of Students at Worthington College. You have held this position for some years and are well liked by students and staff. Dr. Vinkoff brings this situation to your attention, "without mentioning any names, of course".In turn, you discuss the situation with your supervisor, Candice Jones, who is the Provost at Worthington. Dr. Jones feels that all situations related to technology can be handled by the current WC Code of Conduct, policies and other laws. She asks you to follow-up with Dr. Vinkoff.

What advice do you give to Dr. Vinkoff? What steps, if any, do you take in handling this situation?

Stage, F K. (1993). Linking theory to practice: Case studies for working with college students. Bristol, PA: Accelerated Development.