The Fount

“A cadet does not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those who do.”   Since 1955 this honor code has been one of the strongest pillars upon which education is built for the Citadel Corps of Cadets. Thousands of cadets have lived by this code. Recently an alumnus asked me if there was an “honor code” for the faculty. I informed him the Citadel faculty has adopted the code of professional ethics of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). His interest piqued, he proceeded to inquire about the nature of this code. Because of the interesting discussion we had, I have decided to share some of the features of a code of conduct directing faculty behavior.

 

The AAUP statement on professional ethics centers on a set of five responsibilities:
 

1.         Responsibility to the discipline

2.         Responsibility to the student

3.         Responsibility to their colleagues

4.         Responsibility to the institution

5.         Responsibility to the community

 

A faculty member’s responsibility to the discipline is to seek and state truth in their subject area as they see it, In order to meet this responsibility faculty members engage in scholarly activities such as research and writing. They share their ideas with their peers through their professional presentations and publications. Faculty members are obligated to develop their scholarly competency and to have them reviewed and critiqued by their peers. In addition, they have the responsibility to practice intellectual honesty and not take credit for work they did not do. The Citadel Development Foundation and more recently the Citadel Foundation have facilitated the faculty’s meeting this responsibility through it generous support of faculty development, research, and professional presentations. The faculty in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences has developed an impressive record of scholarly activity.

 

The Citadel is a teaching institution which means that its faculty members are carefully evaluated on their skills in the classroom. What does the code of behavior have to say about faculty members’ responsibility to their students? As teachers, faculty members encourage learning in their students. They hold students to high standards and expect their best efforts. They present the scholarly and ethical standards of their particular discipline through well planned lectures and discussions. In addition faculty members see themselves as guides and counselors for their students as they pursue knowledge. They are fair and honest in their evaluation of students and treat them with respect. While expecting mature and focused behavior from their students, faculty members are obligated to provide academic assistance and to protect the student’s academic freedom. A number of activities supported by the Citadel Foundation have been designed to improve the teaching skill of the faculty. For example, Communication Across the Curriculum is a regularly scheduled gathering of interested faculty to discuss various issues about teaching and improving their own as well as their students’ communication skills.
 

Faculty members also have responsibility to their fellow faculty members. As members of the community of professors, faculty members do not discriminate against, bully or harass their colleagues. While they may disagree with colleagues, they respect their opinions and are objective in their interactions with fellow faculty members. Academic debate and disagreement are to be expected, but they are to be done in a collegial manner. Additionally, each member of the faculty is to accept their share of the responsibilities and duties of their department and the institution. At The Citadel, there are many service obligations necessary to run the college and each member of the faculty needs to contribute his/her fair share.

 

What are faculty responsibilities to the institution?   There are several. As affiliates of the institution, faculty members seek to be effective teachers and scholars. Also they agree to follow the policies of the institution as long as they do not interfere with their academic freedom. However, they maintain their right to criticize and attempt to change policies and/or regulations with which they do not agree. This requirement is sometimes difficult for individuals outside of academics to understand. Faculty members actually have an obligation to speak out against college policies with which they disagree. Colleges, including The Citadel, have forums for such discussion and procedure for the faculty to attempt to change policies. It is the very nature of academics to debate and question, which makes it a unique and exciting environment. This unique responsibility for faculty members makes for some interesting interactions at a military college with its two very different cultures.

 

Members of the faculty live within a broader community and have the rights and responsibilities of other citizens. They evaluate these responsibilities in the light of their obligation to the institution and make clear when they are speaking as an individual and when they are speaking as a representative of the institution. Faculty members have a particular responsibility to promote free inquiry and to help increase public understanding of academic freedom.

 

These responsibilities guide the behavior of faculty and help to understand much of what they do. The academic environment is a unique one and faculty members have a unique code of behavior to follow.