An Examination of Privacy Rules for Academic Advisors and College Student-Athletes: A Communication Privacy Management Perspective

Authors

Jason Thompson, Brooklyn College–City University of New YorkFollow
Sandra Petronio, Indiana University–Purdue UniversityFollow
Dawn O. Braithwaite, University of Nebraska–LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

Published in Communication Studies, Vol. 63, No. 1, January–March 2012, pp. 54–76.

Comments

Copyright © 2012 Central States Communication Association.

Abstract

This study explored how academic advisors managed revealed private information from college student-athletes. The 37 academic advisors were interviewed to address: What criteria advisors use to judge privacy rules regulating access or protection of shared private information from student-athletes, and how privacy-rule choices function in this context? Academic advisors interviewed represented 21 different institutions of the four NCAA division levels and 10 separate athletic conferences. Using Communication Privacy Management theory as a framework, findings indicated there were two main criteria: motivations and risk-benefit ratios used to develop privacy rules managing revealing and concealing the student-athlete’s private information.