Preamble

The chief executive officer (CEO’s) of community, technical and junior colleges set the ethical tone for their institutions through both their personal conduct and their institutional leadership. Therefore, each CEO should adhere to the highest ethical standards and promote the moral development of the college community. To achieve these goals, CEO’s should support moral reflection, dialogue and principled conduct among themselves, their board of directors, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and the community at large. While no code of ethics alone can guarantee ethical behavior, the values set forth in this code are intended to guide CEO’s in carrying out these duties.

Values

To promote individual development and the common good, CEO’s should strive to promote basic values about how people should conduct themselves when dealing with others in an academic institution serving the educational needs of the community. These values should represent a shared ideal, which should permeate the institution and become for CEO’s a primary responsibility to uphold and honor. These values should include:

  1. Trust and respect for all persons within and without the college.
  2. Honesty in actions and
  3. Fairness and justice in treatment of all
  4. A pervasive sense of integrity and promise
  5. A commitment:
    1. to intellectual and moral development,
    2. to quality,
    3. to individual empowerment,
    4. to the community college philosophy, and
    5. to college above
  6. Openness in
  7. Belief in diversity within an environment of collegiality and Professionalism.

Responsibilities to Board Members:

  1. To insure that all board members have equal access to complete information in a timely manner.
  2. To avoid not only conflict of interest, but also the appearance of
  3. To represent accurately positions of the Board in public
  4. To foster teamwork and common
  5. To carry out Board policies in a conscientious and timely

Responsibilities to Administration, Faculty and Staff:

  1. To encourage the highest standards of excellence in teaching and the advancement and application of knowledge.
  2. To respect both the personal integrity and professionalism of administrators, faculty and
  3. To promote a college environment that fosters mutual support and open communication among all administrators, faculty and staff.
  4. To raise consciousness concerning ethical responsibilities and encourage acceptance of these
  5. To seek and respect the advice of administration, faculty and staff in matters pertaining to college life and governance.
  6. To treat all employees fairly and equitably, to preserve confidentiality, to provide appropriate due process, and to allow adequate time for corrective actions.

Responsibilities to Students:

  1. To ensure that all students are treated with respect and to promote acceptance of diversity within the college
  2. To provide quality education and equal access to educational opportunities for all
  3. To provide accurate and complete descriptions of available academic programs and to provide sufficient resources to ensure viable
  4. To seek and respect contribution of students to college
  5. To ensure that there is no unlawful discrimination, harassment or exploitation in any aspect of student life.

Responsibilities to Other Educational Institutions:

  1. To keep informed about developments at all levels of education, particularly with respect to community, technical and junior colleges.
  2. To be honest in reporting college operations and
  3. To honor agreements and to maintain confidential
  4. To respect the integrity of programs offered by other institutions and to promote collaborations.

Responsibilities to Business, Civic Groups and the Community at Large:

  1. To ensure that the college responsibly meets the changing needs in its state and
  2. To promise only what is realistic and keep promises that have been
  3. To ensure that all interested parties have an opportunity to express their views regarding college
  4. To ensure equal opportunities for all groups to take part in college
  5. To avoid conflict of interest in contracts, services and sharing of
  6. To honor all laws pertaining to the

Rights of Chief Executive Officers:

A CEO should have the right:

  1. To work in a professional and supportive environment.
  2. To a clear, written statement of the philosophy and goals of the college, to participate fully in setting subsequent goals and
  3. To a clear, written statement of conditions of employment, board procedures for professional review, and a job description outlining duties and responsibilities.
  4. Within the scope of authority and policy, to exercise judgment and perform duties without disruption or
  5. To freedom of conscience and the right to refuse to engage in actions which violate professional standards of ethical or legal conduct.

Original: October 1999

Revised: April 2006

inal: October 1999