STATEMENT OF ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY

CC Policy #3610

It is the policy of Clarendon College to apply the highest ethical standards to all members of the College community including the Board of Regents, administration, staff, and faculty in achieving its mission, and in managing its resources efficiently and effectively to reach its goals and objectives. The College seeks to treat each person of the College community as a unique individual and provide a positive, encouraging, and success-oriented environment. College policies and practices that protect the rights and development of each individual in the College community shall be enforced. Protection from unlawful discrimination, including conduct that constitutes sexual harassment, and freedom to develop as a student and/or College employee shall be promoted.

The College accepts its responsibilities to its students, to its employees, and to the members of the community. The College is committed to meet these responsibilities with balance, fairness, accountability, and ethical integrity.

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EMPLOYEE ETHICS

CC Policy #3620

The employees of Clarendon College affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all persons and the right of all persons to learn. Learning best occurs in an environment devoted to the pursuit of truth, excellence, and liberty. These flourish where both freedom and responsibility are esteemed.

In order to more adequately express the affirmation of our professional responsibilities, we the employees of Clarendon College hold ourselves and each other subject to, the following Code of Professional Ethics:

1. We shall treat all persons with respect, dignity, and justice, discriminating against no one on any arbitrary basis such as ethnicity, creed, gender, disability, social station, or age.
2. We shall strive to help each student realize his or her full potential as a learner, a scholar, and as a human being.
3. We shall by example and action encourage and defend the unfettered pursuit of truth by both colleagues* and students supporting the free exchange of ideas, observing the highest standards of academic honesty, integrity, and seeking always an attitude of scholarly objectivity and tolerance of other viewpoints.
4. We, recognizing the necessity of many roles in the educational enterprise, shall work in such a manner as to enhance cooperation and collegiality
among students, faculty, administrators, and non-academic personnel.
5. We shall recognize and preserve the confidential nature of professional relationships, neither disclosing nor encouraging the disclosure of information or rumor which might damage or embarrass or violate the privacy of any other person.
6. We shall maintain competence through continued professional development, shall demonstrate that competence through consistently adequate preparation and performance, and shall seek to enhance that competence by accepting and appropriating constructive criticism and evaluation.
7. We shall exercise the highest professional standards and shall make the most judicious and effective use of the college's time and resources.
8. We, recognizing the needs and rights of others as embodied in the institution, shall fulfill the employment agreement both in spirit and in fact, shall give reasonable notice upon resignation, and shall neither accept tasks for which we are not qualified, nor assign tasks to unqualified persons.
9. We shall support the goals and ideals of the institution and shall act in public and private affairs in such a manner as to bring credit to the institution.
10. We shall not engage in sexual harassment of students or colleagues and shall adhere to the College's policy that prohibits sexual misconduct.
11. We shall observe the stated policies and procedures of the College, reserving the right to seek revision in a judicious and appropriate manner.
12. We shall participate in the governance of the College by accepting a fair share of committee and institutional responsibilities.
13. We shall support the right of all to academic freedom and due process, and defend and assist those accused of wrongdoing, incompetence, or other serious offense so long as the individual's innocence may reasonably be maintained.
14. We shall not support a colleague or an individual who is known to be persistently unethical or professionally incompetent.
15. We shall accept all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, including participation in the formulation of public policy, always avoiding use of the privileges of his or her public position for private or partisan advantage.

*In this code the term "colleague" refers to administrators, teachers, nonacademic personnel, and any other persons employed by the College in the educational enterprise.

Reference: TCCTA, 1997.

 

BOARD MEMBERS: STATEMENT OF ETHICS

CC Policy #1270

Statement of Ethics: As a member of the Board, I will strive to improve community college education, and to that end I shall adhere to the following ethical standards:

1. Attend all regularly scheduled Board meetings as possible, and become informed concerning issues to be considered at those meetings.
2. Work with other Board members to establish effective Board policies and to delegate authority for the administration of the College to the Chief Executive Officer.
3. Recognize that I should endeavor to make policy decisions only after full discussion at publicly held Board meetings.
4. Render all decisions based on the available facts and my independent judgment, and refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special interest groups.
5. Encourage the free expression of opinion by all Board members, and seek systematic communications between the Board and students, staff, and all elements of the community.
6. Communicate to other Board members and the Chief Executive Officer expressions of public reaction to Board policies and college programs.
7. Inform myself about current educational issues by individual study and through participation in programs providing needed information, such as those sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Community College Trustees.
8. Support the employment of those persons best qualified to serve as college staff, and insist on a regular and impartial evaluation of all staff.
9. Shall not engage in discrimination, racial harassment, and/or sexual harassment.
10. Avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest, and refrain from using my Board position for personal or partisan gain.
11. Take no private action that will compromise the Board or administration, and respect the confidentiality of information that is privileged under applicable law.
12. Remember always that my first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of the students attending the College.