CHOICE: A Decision-Making Strategy for University Lawyers

and Administrators

Nancy Tribbensee, Deputy General Counsel, Arizona State University

Nancy.Tribbensee@asu.edu

Communication regarding mission or goal

History of similar policy and legal decisions

Options or alternative ways to achieve goals

Information gathering

Consultation with interested parties

Evaluation

Communication regarding mission or goal

• Identify goals

• Communicate to interested parties

History of similar policy and legal decisions

• Past practice

• Past policy

• Legal decisions

Options or alternative ways to achieve goals

• Benefits

• Costs

Information Gathering

• Laws

• Policies

• Insurance

Consultation with interested parties

• On campus

• Off campus

Evaluation

Interview Questions

1.Violence on the high school and post-secondary campus has gained national attention over the past few years. Are you familiar with the different incidents across the country?

2. In reading about the violence on other campuses, are you concerned about ASU?

3. Can you tell me a bit about your interactions with students at ASU?

4. Have you adjusted your normal processes/interactions based on the accounts of campus violence or potential liability?

5. If not, do you feel your department should examine your current interactions?

6. If so, do you feel you are maintaining sufficient student interaction/services?

7. How would you react if the attorneys told you to decrease your interactions with students to avoid liability? How would this impact your ability to do your job the way you think it should be done?

8. How would you react if the attorneys told you to increase your involvement in student activities to avoid liability? How would this impact our ability to do your job the way you thing it should be done?

9. If the General Counsel’s office were to issue guidelines regarding student interaction to minimize liability, would you follow them even if they were significantly different from your normal practices?

10. Do you believe student service would suffer if such guidelines were implemented?