CODE OF ETHICS FOR STUDENTS
The Code of Ethics for Students is a set of moral standards aiding Carolinians to embody the principles of Scientia (Science), Virtus (Virtue) and Devotio (Devotion) as they strive for excellence in their respective academic fields and build the character needed in their personal and professional lives.
The Code of Ethics aims to develop the sensitivity of students to moral issues in contemporary life, to strengthen their courage and ability to speak out and act on these issues and, thus, to hone their sense of personal identity as Witness to the Word.
The groundwork of this Code is that students would achieve and maintain a level of maturity required of responsible and effective citizens of the country and the Church by the observance of this Code.
The Core Values of the University given in the By Laws of the Corporation serve as a frame of reference for the Code of Ethics for Students and, accordingly, afford them inspiration in complying with the Duties and Responsibilities below.
Integrity. In their personal and academic lives, students display behavior congruent with the values they espouse as members of a Catholic University. They do this through honesty and truthfulness in dealing with others—administrators, faculty, employees and other students, the respect afforded the intellectual property rights of others and the vigilance shown in not compromising the integrity of their own work. As Carolinians, they value and nurture this integrity in all circumstances of their lives.
Excellence. Students strive to achieve excellence in their academic studies and co-curricular activities commensurate with their respective gifts and aspirations. In meeting the standards of the University, they are not complacent in early success or discouraged by occasional setbacks. Accordingly, they recognize the truth of Aristotle’s words: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
Commitment. Students are actively engaged in the process of their own learning as well as in the internalization of the ideals of the University. They demonstrate this by sincere interest, hard work and perseverance in their studies as well as by maturity of their behavior reflecting these ideals. In both endeavors, they strive to bring honor to the University—the alma mater that nurtures their young adult Catholic lives.
Social Responsibility. Since the contribution they make to society will be built on the social responsibility exercised during their formation, students recognize the University as a community in which to develop sensitivity to the rights and needs of others and to take effective action in responding to them. They learn to be vigilant also to social, economic and political conditions in the real world: the need of the poor for a voice in society, the divergence of cultures and religions attaining there and the integrity of creation.
Evangelization. Students aspire to be Witness to the Word in their academic and social lives. Under the guidance of the Administration and the faculty, they endeavor to internalize the teachings and values of the Catholic Church and the role a Catholic University plays in the evangelization of peoples and cultures, especially the poor and marginalized of society. Daily, they strive to assimilate the Word of God and exhibit the practice of their faith, including the frequent reception of the Sacraments so that they may be examples of Christian living in their respective communities.
Leadership. While respecting authority at the University, students are called to personal initiative and leadership. They exercise this through commitment to action on the grounds of concern rather than that of personal advantage, on the strength of their convictions rather than that of a desire for popularity. By exercising leadership roles during their formation, students build a strong sense of Christian identity and confidence in their own personal effectiveness as graduates of a Catholic University.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS
Section 1: Academic Conduct
Students share with their teachers and academic heads the responsibility of maintaining a suitable environment that is conducive for their own learning as well as for classroom management by their teachers. Students perform their part in this shared responsibility by doing any or all of the following:
- In regard to their academic life at the University, students shall faithfully observe the rules and regulations given in the Handbook for Students.
- Students shall assume full accountability and responsibility for their own learning and actively take part in the learning of other students.
- Students shall exert every effort to relate what they learn in the classroom to the real world outside.
- Students shall at all times observe proper academic conduct. They shall refrain from committing plagiarism, cheating in tests or examinations and/or aiding other students to do so, or in falsifying academic documents.
- Students shall demonstrate sensitivity and appreciation of the facilities provided for their learning by the University by way of refraining from defacing, damaging, or committing wastage and theft of institutional resources.
Section 2: Student-Student Relationship
As a major part of the University community, students are responsible for promoting genuine collegiality among their peers through mutual respect for each other as well as by the example of their moral behavior. This collegiality is demonstrated in the following manner:
- Students shall respect the rights of fellow students to learn and shall afford them courtesy and respect at all times.
- Students shall value and respect the diverse qualities and gifts of their peers, especially those of other cultures, religions, nationalities and social classes.
- Students shall respect each other as individuals. Under no circumstance shall they physically or psychologically harm or threaten to harm others by bullying, hazing, stalking, harassing or discriminating other students in any form.
- Students shall be open to constructive criticisms from fellow students.
Section 3: Student-Teacher Relationship
The maturity of a society’s culture is assessed by the level of respect and appreciation its members have of those who hand on to each generation the knowledge and wisdom that is its heritage. Students demonstrate this respect in the following manner:
- Students shall treat their teachers with the respect due them in view of the experience, knowledge and concern they have for the welfare and learning of their students.
- Students shall endeavor to actively participate and engage in sound interaction and dialogue with their teachers and their peers without fear of intimidation or ridicule.
- Students shall appreciate feedbacks or constructive criticisms of their teachers as part of the normal process of formative education.
- Students shall refrain from giving personal favors or gifts, whether in cash or in kind, in return for any special consideration in giving a passing grade, granting of honors, consideration or otherwise.
- Students shall be truthful in the reasons they aver for not completing academic assignments, attending class or taking an examination.
- Students shall properly elevate their concern to the Section Head, Department Chair or College Deana as the case may be should they feel they are not given a fair and reasonable hearing on an academic matter.
Section 4: Student-Administrative Employee Relationship
Administrative employees of an academic institution fulfill unassuming but, in the end, indispensable function in rendering support to the programs of colleges and departments. Students show recognition to this important contribution in the following manner:
- Students shall treat administrative employees with respect and courtesy regardless of their administrative status or position.
- Students shall be sensitive to administrative employees schedule and workload in dealing with them.
- Students shall properly elevate their concern to the administrative employee’s immediate superior should they feel they are not given a reasonable response on a particular request, query or dispute.
Section 5: Student-Community Relationship
While the University is, in a most important way, a preparation of students for their participation in the community-at-large, the students themselves, however, represent the institution by their early interest and involvement in the community. In supporting these ends, students are encouraged to exhibit the following acts and deeds:
- Students shall participate in community service and extracurricular activities by making active use of the knowledge and skills they gain at the University.
- Students shall, in a measure possible, participate in and support activities of other sectors, such as the civil society, government, and parochial and religious organizations.
- Students shall refrain from involving the University in their own personal financial dealings or the like on the outside.
RIGHTS OF STUDENTS
In addition to duties and responsibilities, students shall enjoy the following rights adapted from Section 9, Rights of Students in School, of The Education Act of 1982:
- The right to receive, primarily through competent instruction, relevant quality education in line with national goals and conducive to their full development as persons with human dignity.
- The right to freely choose their field of study subject to existing curricula and to continue their course therein up to graduation, except in cases of academic deficiency, or violation of disciplinary regulations.
- The right to school guidance and counseling services for making decisions and selecting the alternatives in fields of work suited to his potentialities.
- The right of access to his/her own school records, the confidentiality of which the school shall maintain and preserve.
- The right to issuance of official certificates, diplomas, transcript of records, grades, transfer credentials and other similar documents within thirty days from request.
- The right to publish a student newspaper and similar publications, as well as the right to invite resource persons during assemblies, symposia and other activities of similar nature.
- The right to free expression of opinions and suggestions, and to effective channels of communication with appropriate academic channels and administrative bodies of the school or institution.
- The right to form, establish, join and participate in organizations and societies recognized by the school to foster their intellectual, cultural, spiritual and physical growth and development, or to form, establish, join and maintain organizations and societies for purposes not contrary to law.
- The right to be free from involuntary contributions, except those approved by their own organizations or societies.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on July 21, 2007