Faculty Responsibilities
 

B.1.  The Provost should convene an ad hoc faculty committee on faculty roles and responsibilities. The Committee should address: 1)      the defining of University values, including the standards of faculty conduct; and 2)      the ways in which the faculty's traditional teaching and research responsibilities are related to constructive engagement in the life of the University community, and the wider community of which the University is a part.         This discussion should produce a clear statement of expectations regarding faculty roles and responsibilities within one year. Preliminary Report of the Commission on Strengthening the University Community Almanac Supplement - February 1, 1994 The Report of the Commission on Strengthening the Community, while acknowledging that the faculty's primary responsibility is research and instruction, calls for an ad hoc committee to address the ways that those activities are related to broader responsibilities within the University community and within the larger society to which we all belong and, in particular, the faculty's role in "transmitting moral values and setting a civil tone at the University." I believe that it is important to begin this discussion by establishing a framework that distinguishes between those activities beyond research and teaching that are the responsibility of each individual faculty member and those that are the collective responsibility of departments, schools, and the entire University.  Individual responsibilities: * There is no more important value within the university than academic integrity.  Each faculty member must set clear standards for academic integrity in his or her classes and support the judicial procedures in cases where there are alleged violations of academic integrity. * Faculty must also support academic integrity in their own research and instructional activities.  Cases of alleged misconduct in research or plagiarism must be investigated and sanctions must be imposed upon those found guilty of such violations. * Without an atmosphere of civility neither research nor learning can prosper.  To this end it is each faculty member's responsibility to respect the rights and dignity of all members of the University community. * Each faculty member belongs to the broader community of scholars within his or her profession.  Participation in professional activities such as refereeing of articles for professional journals and service to discipline based associations is an important faculty responsibility. Collective responsibilities: * The professional schools within the University have responsibility for training the next generation of health care professionals, lawyers, business executives, and other professionals.  It is the responsibility of those schools to include in their curriculum discussions of ethics and ethical behavior as appropriate to the given field.  A major step in this direction has been taken with the creation of the new center on bioethics. * The University is a resident of West Philadelphia.  As such it is the responsibility of the University as a whole to work to ensure that the community environment is one in which all of the residents can thrive. * The University should contribute to the general welfare of our society by encouraging those faculty members who have areas of expertise on issues such as health care, the environment and education, that affect the city, state, and nation to participate in the national debate on these issues and to participate on governmental and civic advisory boards. * Service to the University community is the responsibility of the faculty as a whole.  Such service includes student advising, faculty participation as residential advisors in undergraduate colleges and dormitories as well as service in departmental, school and university governance.  The Commission's report calls for substantial faculty involvement in student life outside of the classroom.  This responsibility must be collective.  Not all faculty have the interpersonal skills required to mentor and inspire students on an informal basis.  Those faculty that do have these skills should be encouraged to play an active role in advising students but it would be a major disservice to our students to require that every faculty member serve as an advisor. A similar statement pertains to administrative service.  Requiring service on a committee from a faculty member who has no interest in the work of the committee is counter productive both for the committee and the individual.  We also note that it  is unfair to ask an Assistant Professor to assume a large administrative role (e.g., undergraduate chair) at a time when he or she must pay full attention to the activities that are most important in determining tenure. Appointments to the faculty are made to individuals whose research and publication are expected to advance knowledge and enhance the reputation of the University.  Service activity that takes an active researcher away from the lab or library for a significant period of time and interferes with their scholarly work should be discouraged,  Faculty, however, do pass through periods in their university career when their research is less active.  At those times, service to the university and to the broader community should be encouraged through a positive reward structure. The Senate Committee on the Faculty will be discussing these issues.  Please send your comments to me at the address listed below.