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.