CASE STUDY 4

Facts

Camden State
Large Midwest school
Newspaper: The Daily Collegian
Predominantly White
Around 25,000 plus students

Facts

The newspaper has printed an article

concerning an email message that was
sent out to the entire campus
community

The message rants about students from the

Middle East, particularly Muslims
Violent language, stereotypes, violent
images
The newspaper printed the entire email in
the article

Facts

The incident has outraged much of the

campus community
Numerous occurrences of anti-Muslim
graffiti pained on campus buildings
Many Muslim students, faculty, and staff,
and several individuals who were
assumed to be Muslims, feel threatened
No comment from the University on
incident

Role-Playing Exercise

Discussion regarding the various

incidents on campus

Discussion Questions

Do you think the paper was wrong in

printing the entire email in the article?

After watching this interaction and

hearing the proposed solutions, do you
agree with the VP?

What could the VP do to restore the

campus climate?

Multicultural Awareness

Multicultural awareness: awareness of self and the

impact it has on others

How is multicultural awareness demonstrated in this

case?

Students and faculty members that wrote letters to the

publication in support of the Muslim community
The newspaper staff

Who is missing multicultural awareness?

Students involved in the harassment

Administration

Multicultural Knowledge

Multicultural knowledge: knowledge of diverse

cultures and oppressed groups, understanding
multiple identities

How is multicultural knowledge demonstrated in

this case?

Students and faculty members that wrote letters to

the publication in support of the Muslim community
VP

Who is missing multicultural knowledge?

Students involved in the harassment

Multicultural Skills

Multicultural skills are the capability to empathize &

genuinely connect with those different from them

How is multicultural skills demonstrated in this

case?

Newspaper staff
Students and faculty members that wrote letters to the
publication in support of the Muslim community

Who is missing multicultural skills?

University administration
Students involved in the harassment

FIU

Incidents at FIU are handled through

External relations almost immediately

VP of External Relations and the Director of

Media Relations meet with the
administration to create a media statement

Usually, there is no second comment after

the initial media statement

FIU

In 2010, when a football player was

murdered on campus the very next day
a press conference was set up

The athletic director, Pete Garcia, also

gave a statement to the Miami Herald
that night

The student newspaper reported the

story the following Monday

Student Newspaper- FIU

No faculty advisor

A director and assistant director- major role is to

advise once the article is written

The director and assistant director are not subject to

prior review of student articles

Since the newspaper is a public forum, the students

are entitled to first amendment protection

Student editors are responsible for determining the

news, opinions, and features of the campus newspaper

Student Newspaper- FIU

The only way that a university can

censor content in the newspaper is if the
material printed will cause substantial
disruption of school activities and that
disruption could be completely tied back
to the article
In some cases, the administration
removes the faculty advisors after
controversial stories

At least 14 since 2007 have been fired

Discussion Questions

Do you think that this could have

occurred in a private school?

Do you think the code of conduct should

be as specific as to mention grattiti
related to racial messages?

What do you think of the faculty advisor

position?