Issues of Ethics, Behavior, Academic
Freedom and Students' Rights –
When to Call for a Consult
Facilitators:
Beth Smith - Doctor
Greg Granderson – Nurse
Questions that relate
to issues of ethics,
academic freedom
and student rights,
all point to the need
for policies and
processes by the
Academic Senate.
Academic Senate Ethics Statement
The Academic Senate for California Community
Colleges revised it’s ethics statement in 2002.
The Academic Senate adopted the AAUP
statement because it was written from a positive
perspective, and presented a code of moral
values by which faculty could assess their
professional conduct.
The AAUP statement of ethics outlines five areas
of faculty responsibility including: 1) to their
disciplines; 2) to their students; 3) to their
colleagues; 4) to their institutions; and 5) to their
communities. The Academic Senate
subsequently extended these principles to
include seven additional areas of responsibility:
6) scholarly competence; 7) honest academic
conduct; 8) cultural and gender sensitivity; 9)
free pursuit of learning; 10) a trusting and
sensitive learning environment; 11) academic
standards; and 12) academic freedom.
American Association of University Professors
The AAUP has always maintained that
the privileges associated with faculty
status demand a corresponding
obligation to abide by professional and
ethical standards. As early as 1916,
just a year after its founding, the AAUP
established a standing committee on
university ethics and appointed the
esteemed John Dewey as its first chair.
Since then, except for a period from
the early 1930s to the early 1950s, an
Association committee dedicated to
professional ethics and standards has
continued to inform the higher
education community about the
principles of professional ethics and to
encourage their observance.
AAUP--Statement on Professional Ethics
One sentence in the Statement on
Professional Ethics warrants special
attention: "Professors accept their share of
faculty responsibilities for the governance
of their institutions." This critically
important responsibility is too often
dismissed as taking time away from
important research or classroom duties.
But if professors want to safeguard
academic freedom and tenure and maintain
faculty authority for setting academic
standards, then they have an obligation to
participate actively in shared governance.
Service on a faculty senate or committee
should never be dismissed as a waste of
time; responsible professional service is
crucial to the functioning of our
institutions and to upholding the highest
standards of our profession.
Statement on Professional Ethics
1. Professors, guided by a deep conviction of the
worth and dignity of the advancement of
knowledge, recognize the special
responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary
responsibility to their subject is to seek and to
state the truth as they see it. To this end
professors devote their energies to developing
and improving their scholarly competence.
They accept the obligation to exercise critical
self-discipline and judgment in using, extending,
and transmitting knowledge. They practice
intellectual honesty. Although professors may
follow subsidiary interests, these interests must
never seriously hamper or compromise their
freedom of inquiry.
Statement on Professional Ethics
2. As teachers, professors encourage the free
pursuit of learning in their students. They hold
before them the best scholarly and ethical
standards of their discipline. Professors
demonstrate respect for students as individuals
and adhere to their proper roles as intellectual
guides and counselors. Professors make every
reasonable effort to foster honest academic
conduct and to ensure that their evaluations of
students reflect each student’s true merit.
They respect the confidential nature of the
relationship between professor and student.
They avoid any exploitation, harassment, or
discriminatory treatment of students. They
acknowledge significant academic or scholarly
assistance from them. They protect their
academic freedom.
Statement on Professional Ethics
3. As colleagues, professors have obligations
that derive from common membership in the
community of scholars. Professors do not
discriminate against or harass colleagues. They
respect and defend the free inquiry of
associates. In the exchange of criticism and
ideas professors show due respect for the
opinions of others. Professors acknowledge
academic debt and strive to be objective in their
professional judgment of colleagues. Professors
accept their share of faculty responsibilities for
the governance of their institution.
Statement on Professional Ethics
4. As members of an academic institution,
professors seek above all to be effective
teachers and scholars. Although professors
observe the stated regulations of the institution,
provided the regulations do not contravene
academic freedom, they maintain their right to
criticize and seek revision. Professors give due
regard to their paramount responsibilities
within their institution in determining the
amount and character of work done outside it.
When considering the interruption or
termination of their service, professors
recognize the effect of their decision upon the
program of the institution and give due notice of
their intentions.
Statement on Professional Ethics
5. As members of their community, professors
have the rights and obligations of other citizens.
Professors measure the urgency of these
obligations in the light of their responsibilities
to their subject, to their students, to their
profession, and to their institution. When
they speak or act as private persons, they avoid
creating the impression of speaking or acting
for their college or university. As citizens
engaged in a profession that depends upon
freedom for its health and integrity, professors
have a particular obligation to promote
conditions of free inquiry and to further public
understanding of academic freedom.
AAUP Policy Tenth Ed.2 10/26/06 1:32 PM Page 172
Sample Statements
Codes of Ethics and Standards for Practice
Chapter 14 of the 2007 Trustee Handbook, published by
the Community College League of California.
Community college boards of trustees
have many choices when developing their
codes of ethics or statement of standards
for trustee behavior. The following sample
statements of ethics and standards for
good practice may be used to generate
ideas and stimulate discussion. They are
not intended to be all-inclusive and are not
in priority order.
Boards may use the samples in a variety of
ways. They may select or adapt specific
statements. They may choose one, none,
or more than one from each area.
Ethical Values
The ethical values described below are from the Josephson Institute,
and are called the “Six Pillars of Character”The pillars are
trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
Trustworthiness. When we are trustworthy, people believe in us. Being
trustworthy requires honesty, integrity, reliability and loyalty. Being
honest means we are sincere, truthful, straightforward, and avoid
deception. It does not mean violating confidentiality, being uncivil, or
making promises that one might not be able to keep. Integrity refers to
“wholeness.” A person who has integrity is consistent in decisionmaking and behavior, and bases his or her behavior on a core set of
ethics or values. Reliability means we keep our promises. If we commit
to a task, we follow through. Ethical trustees spend the hours each
week that are required to perform the job well. Loyalty means
protecting and promoting the interests of people, a group or
organization. As a trustee, the primary loyalty is to the college and the
public good—loyalty to friends and single
interest groups is subordinate.
Respect. The second “pillar of character” is respect. It includes civility,
courtesy, decency, autonomy, and tolerance. Civility and courtesy are
particularly important when engaging in discussions with others with
whom we disagree. Autonomy means that we do not try to live others’
lives for them. Tolerance means we accept others’ perspectives and
judge others only on their core ethical values.
Ethical Values
Caring. Caring means that we are genuinely concerned about the
welfare of others. As public officials, we care about the common
good and welfare of the community. Public education is a
benevolent act and expresses caring for the public well being.
Trustees are often asked to care about many different people–
community members, students, faculty, and others. Benevolence
as a trustee involves seeking the well being of the entire
community. Challenges arise when decisions must be made for
the benefit of the public welfare that may not meet the needs of
specific groups. Caring trustees understand those
challenges, and realized that their role requires focusing on the
public good. Because we care about other people, we care
about being ethical, about being respectful, responsible, and
trustworthy. Being unethical is easier if we do not care about
others.
Citizenship. The final “pillar” is citizenship, which involves how
we behave as part of a community. Ethical citizens obey laws,
contribute to the community through service and leadership,
and protect the environment. Citizenship is concerned with the
future health and welfare of society. Trusteeship is an expression
of civic leadership, and the ethics of trusteeship reflect
good
citizenship practices.
Ethical Values
Responsibility. Responsibility means being willing to make
decisions and choices and to be accountable for those.
Responsible people do not shift the blame to others.
Responsibility means doing the best one can, and being diligent,
careful, prepared, and informed. It means persevering, following
through, and finishing tasks that one has promised to do.
Responsibility also involves self-restraint, prudence, and
recognizing the importance to set a good example. Responsible
trustees recognize that there are some limits on being able to
say whatever one wants to, because people look to them as
representatives of the college.
Fairness. The fourth pillar, fairness, involves equality,
impartiality, openness and using due process. People say that
“life is unfair,” and it can be very difficult to define what’s fair in
a way that all would agree. Exhibiting fairness involves using
open and impartial processes for gathering and evaluating
information, so that even those who disagree with a decision can
understand how it was made. It means seeking equity and
avoiding favoritism or prejudice.
The Faculty Code of Conduct as Approved by the Assembly of the
Academic Senate – University of California
Part I of this Code sets forth the responsibility
of the University to maintain conditions and
rights supportive of the faculty’s pursuit of the
University’s central functions.
The Faculty Code of Conduct as Approved by the Assembly of the
Academic Senate – University of California
Part II of this Code elaborates standards of
professional conduct, derived from general
professional consensus about the existence of
certain precepts as basic to acceptable faculty
behavior. Conduct which departs from these
precepts is viewed by faculty as unacceptable
because it is inconsistent with the mission of the
University. The articulation of types of
unacceptable faculty conduct is appropriate
both to verify that a consensus about minimally
acceptable standards in fact does exist and to
give fair notice to all that departures from these
minimal standards may give rise to disciplinary
proceedings. In Part II a clear distinction is
made between statements of (1) ethical
principles and (2) types of unacceptable
behavior.
TEST FOR ETHICAL ISSUES
1. Be sure that all of the facts are known
and true.
2. Is the issue legal? If the person's
action is not legal, the test ends here.
No one is authorized by anyone else to
break the law.
3. If the action is legal, does the person's
action violate college policy? If so,
unless there are exceptions, the test
should end there.
4. If the action is legal and does not
violate college policy, does one of the
Ethical Principles apply to the facts?
TEST FOR ETHICAL ISSUES
5. Determine which principle or
principles apply and analyze
what the appropriate response
should be.
6. Further tests include:
– If you do it, will you feel bad?
– How would it look to other
members of the college
community or your family if
they knew all of the facts?
If it passes tests # 2 through 5,
but you know that it is wrong,
don't do it.
FACULTY AS PROFESSIONALS: RESPONSIBILITIES,
STANDARDS AND ETHICS
The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
Spring 2002
Statement on Professional Ethics
AAUP Policy Tenth Ed. 2 (page 172)
10/26/06
Resources for Governing Board on Codes of Ethics
Community College League of California
2017 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Chapter 14 --- 2007
Scenario 1
Use of Information from
“Rate My Professor”
or
“Pick a Prof”
In tenure review, faculty
evaluations, hiring
committees, i.e.
Scenario 2
Faculty member accepts
gifts from students
Scenario 3
Faculty member has his/her
children enrolling in class
Scenario 4
Faculty member calls trustee
claiming to represent the
voice of the faculty
Scenario 5
Faculty member gives his/her
final exam two weeks early
FACULTY AS PROFESSIONALS: RESPONSIBILITIES,
STANDARDS AND ETHICS
The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
Spring 2002
Statement on Professional Ethics
AAUP Policy Tenth Ed. 2 (page 172)
10/26/06
Resources for Governing Board on Codes of Ethics
Community College League of California
2017 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Chapter 14 --- 2007