7.4.2 Code of Professional Conduct and Statement of Professional Ethics

Code of Professional Conduct

The College requires all instructional and library faculty members and all classified and unclassified administrators to conduct themselves in accordance with federal, state and local laws and regulations, as applicable, and to comply with all policies and procedures set forth in the Faculty/Administration Manual and on the policy web site at policy.cofc.edu, the Human Resources web site, the College of Charleston Administrative Memoranda and Notices, and all other policies and procedures that may be prescribed by the President and the Provost.

In addition, all instructional faculty must comply with all written policies and procedures established by the Provost, the appropriate Dean of the school, or the department. Also, all library faculty and all unclassified and classified administrators should comply with all written policies and procedures established by the Provost, Dean and their immediate supervisor.

Statement of Professional Ethics

Membership in the academic profession carries with it special
responsibilities. The College of Charleston requires that all faculty and administrators holding faculty status and rank comply with the ethical standards set forth by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and by the professional associations of the individual disciplines represented at the College of Charleston. The professional and ethical conduct of a faculty member may be considered from five major perspectives: (1) as a member of the teaching profession; (2) as a teacher; (3) as a colleague; (4) as a part of an institution; (5) as a member of a community.

  • As a member of the teaching profession, the professor:
    1. seeks and states the truth as they see it. (SPE)11 (Rev. Aug. 2018)
    2. devotes their energies to developing and improving their scholarly competence. (SPE) (Rev. Aug. 2018)
    3. accepts the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending and transmitting knowledge. (SPE)
    4. practices, fosters and defends intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and instruction, and free expression on and off the campus. (SPE and SFR)12
    5. avoids allowing their subsidiary interests to hamper or compromise their freedom of inquiry13. (Rev. Aug. 2018)
  • As a teacher, the professor:
    1. encourages the free pursuit of learning in students.(SPE)
    2. holds before the students the best scholarly standards of the discipline. (SPE)
    3. demonstrates respect for the student as an individual.(SPE)
    4. adheres to the proper role as an intellectual guide and counselor. (SPE)
    5. makes every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct. (SPE)
    6. makes every reasonable effort to assure that evaluation of students reflects their true merit and is based on their academic performance professionally judged and not on matters irrelevant to that performance, whether personality, sex, race, religion, degree of political activism, or personal beliefs. (SPE and SFR)
    7. respects the confidential nature of the relationship between professor and student. (SPE)14
    8. does not refuse to enroll or teach students on the grounds of their beliefs or the possible uses to which they may put the knowledge to be gained in a course. (SFR)
    9. refrains from forcing students by the authority inherent in the instructional role to make particular personal choices as to political action or their own part in society. (SFR)
    10. does not persistently intrude into the presentations of the subject material which has no relation to that subject. (SFR)
    11. presents the subject matter of all courses as announced to students and as approved by the faculty in their collective responsibility for the curriculum. (SFR)
    12. allows students the freedom to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in a course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion. (SFR)
    13. avoids any exploitation of students for private advantage. (SPE)
  • As a colleague, the professor:
    1. respects and defends the free inquiry of associates. (SPE)
    2. shows due respect for the opinion of others in exchanges of criticism and ideas. (SPE)
    3. acknowledges academic debts. (SPE)
    4. strives to be objective in professional judgment of colleagues. (SPE)
  • As a member of an institution, the professor:
    1. seeks above all to be an effective teacher and scholar.
      (SPE)
    2. observes the stated regulations of the institution provided they do not contravene academic freedom. (SPE)
    3. maintains their right to criticize regulations and seek their revision. (SPE) (Rev. Aug. 2018)
    4. determines the amount and character of the work done outside the institution with due regard for their paramount responsibilities within it. (SPE) (Rev. Aug. 2018)
    5. recognizes, when considering the interruption or termination of their services, the effect of their decision upon the program of the institution and gives due notice of their intentions. (SPE)15 (Rev. Aug. 2018)
    6. requests a leave of absence or resigns their academic position when acute conflicts between the claims of politics, social action and conscience, on the one hand, and the claims and expectations of students, colleagues and institution, on the other, preclude the fulfillment of substantial academic obligations. (SFR)16 (Rev. Aug. 2018)
    7. refrains from calling attention to grievances in ways that significantly impede the functions of the institution. (SFR)
    8. accepts a fair share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of the institution. (SPE)17
  • As a member of a community, the professor:
    1. measures the urgency of obligations as a citizen in light of responsibilities to their subject, students, profession and institution. (SPE) (Rev. Aug. 2018)
    2. makes every effort, when speaking and acting as a citizen, to be accurate, to exercise appropriate restraint, to show respect for the opinions of others, and to indicate that the professor does not speak for the College. (SPE and SEU)18 (Rev. Aug. 2018)
    3. promotes conditions of free inquiry. (SPE)
    4. furthers public understanding of academic freedom. (SPE)

11 Statement on Professional Ethics, the primary source of items in this statement. AAUP Bulletin, Vol. 55, No. 1, Spring, 1969, pp.86-87. Parenthetical references and footnotes identify documents from which items have been taken, most of them almost word-for-word.

12 AAUP Council Statement on Freedom and Responsibility October 31, 1970. AAUP Bulletin, Vol. 56, No.4, Winter, 1970, pp. 375-376.

13 See also AAUP Statement “On Preventing Conflicts of Interest in Government -- Sponsored Research in Universities” AAUP Bulletin, Vol. 51, No. 1, Spring 1965, pp.42-43.

14 An expanded statement of confidentiality is contained in “Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students,” esp. the section entitled “In the Classroom.” AAUP Bulletin, Vol. 54, No. 2, Summer, 1968, pp. 258-261.

15 See also “Statement on Recruitment and Resignation of Faculty Members” and “A Report from Committee B, Late Resignation and Professional Ethics.” AAUP Bulletin, Vol. 54, No. 3, Autumn, 1968, PP. 363-364.

Related Policies, Documents or Forms

7.4.2 Code of Professional Conduct and Statement of Professional Ethics (FAM IV.B) PDF