Codes of Conduct in Academia New Directions for Higher Education, Number 160

by Braxton, John M.; Bray, Nathaniel J.

• ISBN13: 9781118537756
• ISBN10: 1118537750
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-01-04
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Chapters of this issue of New Directions for Higher Education present tenets of codes of conduct for the presidency, academic deans, admissions officers, fund-raising professionals, faculty who teach undergraduate students, and faculty who teach graduate students. The need for such codes of conduct stems from the client-serving role of colleges and universities. Such clients include prospective donors, prospective students and their families, the individual college or university, faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students, and the knowledge base of the various academic disciplines.

Because presidents, academic deans, admissions officers, fund-raising professionals, and faculty members experience role ambiguity and substantial autonomy in the performance of their roles, codes of conduct are needed to protect the welfare of the clients served. The authors offer recommendations for policy and practice regarding the proposed codes of conduct. Organizational constraints and possibilities of enacting such codes are also discussed.

Author Biography

John M. Braxton is professor of education in the Higher Education Leadership and Policy Program in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. Alan E. Bayer was the professor emeritus of sociology at Virginia Tech and founding director of the university's Center for Survey Research. Bayer made significant contributions to the sociology of education. He published five books and more than 125 articles, chapters, and technical reports.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: The Importance of Codes of Conduct for Academia 1
John M. Braxton, Nathaniel J. Bray

This chapter emphasizes the importance of codes of conduct to guide the professional role performance of presidents, academic deans, admissions officers, fund-raising professionals, and faculty who teach undergraduate and graduate students.

2. Toward a Code of Conduct for the Presidency 5
J. Christopher Fleming

College and university presidents serve clients who are internal and external to their institution. This chapter describes eight tenets toward a code of conduct for college and university presidents that
safeguards the welfare of the clients served.

3. Follow the Code: Rules or Guidelines for Academic Deans’ Behavior? 19
Nathaniel J. Bray

This chapter delineates six tenets for a code of conduct to guide the behavior of academic deans.

4. A Normative Code of Conduct for Admissions Officers 29
Robert L. Hodum

The work of admissions officers serves clients who include prospective students and their families and the college or university they represent. This chapter presents tenets toward a code of conduct for admissions work that safeguards the welfare of such clients.

5. College and University Codes of Conduct for Fund-Raising Professionals 41
Timothy C. Caboni

Prospective donors and the institutions represented constitute the clients served by college and university fund-raising professionals. This chapter describes nine tenets for a code of conduct for fundraising professionals that protects the welfare of these clients.

6. Toward a Code of Conduct for Graduate Education 49
Eve Proper

This chapter offers a set of six tenets toward a code of conduct to guide the teaching and mentoring of graduate students.

7. The Existence of Codes of Conduct for Undergraduate Teaching in Teaching-Oriented Four-Year Colleges and Universities 61
Dawn Lyken-Segosebe, Yunkyung Min, John M. Braxton

This chapter reports the findings of a study conducted to determine the existence of codes of conduct for undergraduate college teaching in public and private colleges and universities that espouse a
teaching-oriented mission.

8. Organizational Constraints and Possibilities Regarding Codes of Conduct 73
Nathaniel J. Bray, Danielle K. Molina, Bart A. Swecker

This chapter addresses such topics as organizational principles underlying the development and functioning of codes, organizational constraints to the promulgation of codes, and organizational
possibilities for the development of codes of conduct in higher education.

9. Reflections on Codes of Conduct: Asymmetries, Vulnerabilities, and Institutional Controls 89
Nathaniel J. Bray, John M. Braxton

This chapter discusses asymmetries that exist in both positional and professional authority, the relations between main campus stakeholders, and the vulnerabilities that are present ed by such power differentials. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the deterrence, detection, and sanctioning of violations of tenets of codes of conduct.

INDEX 99