 |
|
|
| 
|
 The timing on this is uncanny. No sooner had I finished reading the e-mail announcement of this month's forum topic than I received another message stating a box had been delivered to the reception desk with my name on it. Inside the box I discovered a beautiful gift basket filled with assorted goodies including candy, tea, biscuits, and even smoked almonds. The enclosed card thanked me and stated that the senders (an advisee and her mother) were appreciative of the help I had been able to give during a long process involving a petition, a withdrawal, and a subsequent re-enrollment.Here is my feeling on this matter. I do not believe advisers should encourage receiving gifts of any kind. If asked in advance, I would certainly say that I don't expect or wish to be rewarded in a materialistic way for doing what is, after all, my job. On the other hand, if a parent or a student unexpectedly sends an adviser flowers or food or something similar as a special “thank you,” then I see nothing wrong with accepting the gift on behalf of the entire staff and then sharing these goodies (although it's a little more difficult with flowers) with everyone. Each of my colleagues is caring and thorough, and for one of us to be singled out says more about the sender of the gift than about the recipient. Cash and/or gift certificates I would return as inappropriate, but with appreciation for the thought. Taking this idea a little further, a few years ago I was in charge of marketing for two satellite locations of a university system near Chicago. As the person purchasing radio and TV time as well as newspaper space and other types of advertising, I was offered numerous incentives (including theatre tickets) by various vendors. In this instance, I do not believe accepting gifts of any sort is appropriate. There is a big—and I think obvious—difference between a gesture of appreciation and a bribe. ~ Diane J. Leos, The Pennsylvania State University, June 5 There have been cases where I have unexpectedly been presented with a gift from an advisee. Typically, the student is presenting the gift in appreciation of the services I have provided during a long-term adviser/advisee relationship. These students are well-intentioned and I think it would be insensitive to not accept the gift and acknowledge the person's thoughtfulness. In fact, I might offend someone's cultural values by doing so. Of course, I cannot accept money! So, I personally don't see a lot of harm in accepting an unexpected gift such as candy, a scarf, or small token of their culture from a student.~ Jo Meier, University of Wisconsin–Madison, June 5 Prior to my career as an adviser, I worked for many years in financial institutions, mainly stockbrokers. There was and probably still is a rule that states that no employee may accept a gift from a customer if the value of the gift is more than $25. Of course with cost of living that amount might have risen, but it is still a rule that I live by.Over the years, I have received a few gifts from grateful students. I never encourage gifts and would tactfully decline any gift that I felt was over the $25 limit. But in this day and age when manners are often missing and rude students seem to be the norm and not the exception, an occasional gift reinforces my belief that my efforts are making a difference. As to the presents, well, flowers sit on the counter for all to enjoy and any edible items are passed around the office and then placed in the lunch room. To me, the best gift of all is seeing that student's name on the graduation list. ~ Cathi Kadow, Purdue University Calumet, June 5 The Mentor is published by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |
