Codes of Conduct in Academia

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.