Home | College of Arts and Science Information | Statement on Ethics College of Arts and Science Statement on Ethics
On March 15, 1999, the College of Arts and Science met to discuss reaffirming our 1987 Statement of Ethics document.
In a motion that was unanimously carried, the College reaffirmed its position as stated in the 1987 document.
Purpose
This is a statement of conscience by the Staff of the College.l It declares our commitment to basic principles and guidelines for conduct that we expect of ourselves.
No sanctions have been established to enforce the statement. It bestows no rights or duties not already bestowed by rules and policies of the University of Missouri.2
The statement is intended to encourage ongoing discussion of conscious and unconscious acts of discrimination and prejudice and provide a basis for their criticism.
Principles
The pursuit of knowledge is a cooperative effort of a community united by collegiality and mutual respect. Members of a true academic community treat each other with fairness and consideration.
Exploitation, discrimination, abuse, and insensitivity are always wrong. They are especially damaging to an educational environment, which depends on respect, trust, and focus on learning. It is the responsibility of everyone in the academic community to call attention to such acts and work to eliminate them whether they are unconscious or conscious, covert or overt, while taking care not to accuse anyone unfairly.
A variety of relationships in the academic community require some of its members to exercise authority over others, for example, relationships among senior and junior administrators, senior and junior faculty, other teaching and research staff, support staff and students. Persons in positions of authority or responsibility must do all they can to avoid, prevent and eliminate acts of discrimination and promote an atmosphere conducive to learning.
Those in authority must regularly remind all of the staff of the College of their obligations under this statement. They must inform students and others in the academic community of their rights and the procedures for redress under the rules of the university if their rights are violated.
Regardless of position, all should foster the spirit of collegiality and resist acts that impair it. It is their obligation to insure that each member of the community is accorded fair access to opportunities, rewards, and desirable conditions of work.
Guidelines
No formal statement of objectives or norms can replace the conscience and judgment of the individual. It is useful, however, to remind ourselves and those with whom we deal of practices that are particularly important in maintaining a favorable environment for learning.
1. Assignments and Rewards.
There must be neither favoritism nor discrimination based on personal relationships or group membership in conducting the affairs of the University.3
(a) The sole bases for selecting individuals for employment, admission to programs, and assignment of work, and for grading and other evaluations, retention, promotion, financial and other rewards, certification and recommendations must be qualifications, potential, and performance.
(b) Factors such as age, disability, ethnic origin, marital status, race, religious commitment, sex, and sexual orientation must not be considered unless they are relevant to a specific assignment.
2. Supervisory Functions.
There must be no misuse of position for personal gratification or gain or for exploitation of others.
(a) Positions of authority must not be used to obtain sexual favors, services that are not part of the subordinate's duties, or support on issues on which the subordinate should have an independent voice. Power must not be used to coerce the subordinate to perform immoral or illegal acts.
(b) Sexual and romantic relationships between those in authority and those who are or are likely to come under their direction are strongly discouraged. Such relationships cannot be entirely free of exploitation. Those who are prospects for liaisons may feel pressure to enter them and fear repercussions when they are broken. Favoritism and suspicion of favoritism contaminates the intellectual environment.
(c) Should such relationships occur, the person in power must take steps to protect the autonomy and rights of the subordinate. These include but are not restricted to transferring responsibility for supervision to a more neutral party.4
(d) While genuine concern for the well being and advancement of colleagues and subordinates is essential to teaching, learning, and growth, it must never be used as an excuse for exploitive or parentalistic relationships.5
(e) In a collegial enterprise, all must give credit to those who contribute to their work in accordance with the standards of the discipline. Whether this takes the form of coauthorship or citation by name in the body or footnotes of published work depends on the nature of the contribution. The fact that the contribution is the result of an assignment as part of a course or degree program is not a reason for denying credit.
(f) While students and others may be invited to serve as research subjects on the basis of free and informed consent, they must not be recruited in situations that are explicitly or implicitly coercive.
3. Freedom to Learn
Teachers and supervisors must use the control which they have over the time and attention of students and employees to enhance their development and advance the teaching and learning mission of the university.
(a) Students must have the opportunity to investigate all rationally defensible positions on important questions. While they may be required to understand particular positions and may be asked to defend them as a way to understand them, they must not be required to adopt them or pretend to adopt them personally to secure rewards.
(b) Teachers have a special obligation to promote a learning environment free of agist, racist, sexist, and other prejudicial attitudes. They themselves must not make remarks, even of a joking nature, which demean individuals or groups, especially those who have suffered social discrimination.6
(c) Similar care should be taken in the office, workplace, and conference room. Prejudicial comments intended to evoke camaraderie or reinforce status can be hurtful and demeaning, especially if the victim is under pressure to be a good sport and go along with stereotypical roles. No subordinate should be forced into self-mockery or self-deprecation.
Summary
Everyone in the College and especially those in positions of responsibility should promote an environment free of discrimination in which all feel at ease and can devote their entire effort to learning and constructive service. Prejudicial attitudes toward individuals or groups on the basis of such factors as age, disability, ethnic origin, marital status, religious commitment, sex, or sexual orientation cannot be tolerated.
Notes
1 The Staff comprises all persons who represent the College in dealing with other members of the university or the public. It includes administrators, faculty, other teaching and research staff, and support staff
2 The statement does not supplant, supplement, or modify existing University policies, regulations, or the procedures by which they are implemented, for example, those under the Equal Employment Opportunity Program (Collected Rules and Regulations 320.010), statement on Sexual Harassment (330.060), or Procedures Governing the Disposition of Charges of Research Dishonesty by Academic Faculty and Staff (adopted by the Board of Curators, 5/87).
3 These guidelines in no way deny the propriety of affirmative action and other special efforts to recruit staff or students from particular groups as a means of promoting equality of opportunity and the diversity of personnel which enriches the academic environment. Group membership in these instances may be relevant to the mission of the University.
4 These statements are not intended to apply to family relationships. Such relationships are governed by nepotism rules of the University.
5 We have used the term 'parentalist' rather than the patriarchal term 'paternalist'. We mean by it the illegitimate assumption of the role of parent toward competent adults without their consent with the aim of caring for their welfare.
6 'Demean' is used here to mean to debase, degrade or lower by ill-founded or unfair remarks or aspersions. It does not refer to reasoned analysis or criticism of individuals or groups. Teachers and students have not only the right but the obligation to engage in such criticism.
No one can insure that others will not misunderstand his or her statements or take them in the wrong spirit, but the academic environment demands special care to communicate as objectively and clearly as possible to minimize the chance of being misunderstood.
Adopted by the Faculty and Staff of the College of Arts and Science, 1987.
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