Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Would you take this oath?

An Australian expert on university management has proposed a pair of 'Hippocratic oaths,' one for university faculty, another for university administrators. Here's the text of the faculty oath:






To the best of my ability I will support open, independent and systematic inquiry, high standards of learning, and the creative and responsible uses of knowledge. In doing so I will:

1. Dare to know: seek to establish truth and knowledge, and to contest false claims.

2. Teach well: teach in light of accepted standards, student needs and current research.

3. Be public-spirited: engage in public projects and debates where I have needed expertise.

4. Be responsible: take care not to misinform, or let others be misled by my claims.

5. Be transparent: disclose the evidence, methods and contributions relied on in my work.

6. Be collegial: share my learning with scholars and students, and seek to learn from them.

7. Be respectful: show courtesy to those who, in good faith, misunderstand or disagree.

8. Be open-minded: be ready to amend my views in light of new evidence or insight.

9. Be impartial: rely only on accepted criteria when judging others or their work.

10. Be scrupulous: declare any conflict of interest that may bias my scholarly judgment.



So is this a fair representation of the ethical obligations of faculty? Would you take this oath yourself?

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