Program Overview

The following commentary is designed to define key terms and issues--and to lay a framework for implementing an ethical development program at the University of Maryland. We suggest reading it in conjunction with the "Fifteen Principles for the Design of College Ethical Development Programs."

by Gary Pavela

Designing an ethical development program requires cross-functional collaboration with faculty members, students, and student affairs administrators. A series of conversations at the University of Maryland resulted in the following memorandum, distilled into fourteen points. Efforts at Maryland have led to several new initiatives, including "academic integrity" or "professional ethics" seminars for over 500 students in engineering and computer science classes. (For an insight into some of the content of such seminars, see the article "A Design for Ethical Development Programming").

1. A starting premise should be that students enter the university recognizing that it is a voluntary community, grounded in the basic values necessary for community life. Codified, generally, in the Code of Student Conduct and the Code of Academic Integrity, those values can be broadly defined to include self-restraint, honesty, reciprocity, tolerance, and civility.

2. The term "ethics" needs to be defined. A helpful formulation can be found in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Volume Three, pp. 81-82 : "an inquiry about ways of life and rules of conduct." In the broadest sense, ethical development programming should encourage students to examine (by thought and feeling) how a "good life" could be lived, and how rules, habits, values, and personal choices (particularly regarding social relationships and obligations) can contribute to a good life.

3. Ethical development programming should include references to the obligations of citizenship. A commitment to good citizenship entails a sense of responsibility to others, including responsibility to maintain and add to the building of community.

4. A minimum goal for a citizenship/ethical development program should be established: namely, that "students will identify the University as a place where ethical values are frequently raised and discussed." This "minimum" is a floor, not a ceiling. We can expect, in time, to foster additional standards (e.g. like accepted definitions of good citizenship and civility) that can be broadly endorsed across the campus.

   Other initiatives will go well beyond the minimum, and promote more specific values and virtues, like the expectations now being set for students living in fraternities and sororities. Those initiatives usually involve student groups or organizations that voluntarily subscribe to membership criteria focusing on individual ethical development.

5. Progress in reaching the minimum goal should be measured. Regular surveys should be undertaken to determine student perceptions about the extent to which issues related to citizenship and ethics are discussed on campus.

6. Leadership training is an important part of University programming. Staff members managing leadership programs should be closely involved with citizenship/ethical development programming. Leadership programming at all levels should include some effort to discuss and affirm the ethical components of good leadership. Likewise, ethical development programming should identify and affirm the leadership component of ethical action--especially that leadership is required in upholding ethical standards.

7. Peer involvement in creating and implementing programs is  essential. Instead of establishing some new body or advisory  group, an existing organization like the Student Honor Council might be a primary resource. The Council--supplemented by invited SGA/GSA/Greek/Resident Life representatives--could be asked to hold an annual meeting for the purpose of reviewing, discussing, and recommending  specific citizenship/ethical development proposals.

8. A foundation for peer involvement would be a "statement of community standards" developed and affirmed by student leaders. The "statement" would be shared with all new students, and should be subject to annual review and discussion by the student government association. An example of such a statement can be found in the Smith College handbook (adopted by the Student Senate in 1988):

   Students have freely associated themselves with Smith College in a relationship based on mutual trust, personal respect and individual integrity. Dedicated to the advancement of learning and to the pursuit of truth, they shall foster the process of free inquiry and the exchange of ideas and criticism while maintaining respect for the opinions of others. They shall demonstrate respect for all members of the Smith community as individuals, avoid exploitation of fellow community members for personal advantage and make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct.

9. Substantial citizenship/ethical development programming is already occurring in student affairs units, even if the term "ethical development" isn't used. For example, Health Center "wellness" programs that encourage "responsible" drinking or sexual relationships appeal to the  classical foundation of moral development: an emphasis on self-restraint, and self-understanding, in pursuit of worthy goals (e.g. physical and psychological health). Those programs should be identified and affirmed. The staff members managing them might also  benefit from training on how (and whether) to make implicit moral development programming explicit--so students can discuss the values involved.

10. Programming for students and staff members on topics like sexual harassment, "diversity," or accommodating people with disabilities  should be reviewed to see if  ethical issues and expectations are discussed, along with legal requirements. Explicit reference to ethical issues is desirable, so human relationships are seen in full color, not simply as matters of politics or law. One approach might be to ask: ?what is the law trying to accomplish, and what is the ethical principle behind that goal??

11. Specific citizenship/ethical development programs and presentations should be implemented for student employees and volunteers in various student affairs units. In the Office of Student Conduct, for example, students hearing contested disciplinary cases should be asked to reflect upon what that experience has helped them learn about human nature and behavior--and how they might conduct their lives differently as a result. A list of suggested "Socratic questions" and commentary might be developed for student leaders and Student Affairs  staff members, who should be reminded that they don't need to have an advanced degree to have thoughtful conversations with students about ethical issues.

12. Citizenship/ethical development programming should also focus on expanding pertinent knowledge and skills among students in gatekeeper functions, like residence advisors and peer advisors.  One aim of the programming should be to encourage and help gatekeepers "ask the right (Socratic) questions at the right time" (e.g. after an incident of misconduct: "what would our community be like if  this behavior became commonplace?").

13. A regular presentation should be made available to academic departments (perhaps as part of a "capstone" experience within those departments) related to the ethical component of careers and professions. Ethical codes in particular professions (e.g. law and engineering) might be reviewed and discussed in a Socratic format, with a view to finding common expectations that might apply in multiple contexts (e.g.,  confidentiality is a value worthy of protection, but has to be balanced against other social interests).

14. Most citizenship/ethical development programs and presentations should be supported by an interactive web-site. The University of Maryland site can be found at studentconduct.umd.edu/ethical (although considerable material needs to be incorporated). Such a site will permit expanded review and discussion of written essays and interviews, especially for the "academic integrity seminar" (taken by about 100 University of Maryland students annually, as a means to remove the "XF" academic dishonesty grade penalty from their transcripts). The site would also allow presentation of  case studies and student commentary on a broad range of issues--including recent events of pressing interest to the larger community (e.g. whether disciplinary proceedings should be open to the public). There would be occasions when readers would be drawn to the web site by creative announcements in the campus media.