RICHARD NAVA
News Assistant
Pepperdine University’s mission statement plainly declares that the school adheres to Christian values and that students will be reared for lives of service. This mission statement implies certain standards for ethical conduct. Now students and faculty may have these limits of rules and conduct put down in writing for all to see.
Members of the faculty, staff, Board of Regents and even students have worked with Provost Darryl Tippens to create a comprehensive document with the university’s ethical expectations for its community, according to a mass e-mail sent by Tippens. The group has worked on a code of ethics for the past nine months under the direction of President Andrew K. Benton, and has now completed the preliminary draft.
“We never had a Code of Ethics while I was there [Pepperdine], but I think it’s a good idea to have a written document,” said Alumnus Madelaine Behr. “This way it leaves less room for interpretation and subjectivity.”
Members of the staff agree.
“We are all supposed to follow the standards of Christian living—that goes without saying,” said Cindy Hernandez, Financial Assistance counselor. “But having a document like this one makes you think about those ethics of conduct a little more.”
Tippens said he felt the document held value because it addressed the high standards of the university.
The document has not been finalized, however, because the Provost and the rest of his team say they would like to hear comments on the code from other members of the Pepperdine faculty, staff, administration and students. By doing so, the document may undergo further evaluation and revision so that it fits the expectations of the community as a whole and so that it reflects the standards of the majority of Pepperdine.
The Code of Ethics is divided into nine sections that cover many aspects of university life from acting with integrity, avoiding conflict, stewarding the university’s resources, treating others with respect and even how to report violations. The code itself states that it was created using ethical expectations found in Scripture, the University’s Mission and Affirmation statements as well as with the founding vision of George Pepperdine.
The code states, “We value integrity, honesty, and fairness and strive to integrate these values into our daily practices.” It further goes on to say the greatest standards in it are found in the book of Matthew which are to love God, and to love one’s neighbor.
“The University has always maintained the highest standards of ethical conduct and the ethics policy is an opportunity to continue and advance that tradition,” Associate Provost Timothy Perrin said.
The conclusion of the code dictates how we are all governed and how Scripture calls us to live. It includes passages from Ephesians, Matthew, a quote from George Pepperdine, and finally ends with the University’s motto, “Freely ye received, freely give.”
The university’s provost said he was pleased with the new code, which has been in the works for more than two years.
“I am pleased to say that the Pepperdine statement is somewhat different from other institutions’ policies,” Tippens said. “This difference is apparent throughout because we grounded our standards in Scripture and the particular traditions of our University.”
Another interesting piece of the Code of Ethics is that although it states we are all held to the same standards, it also indicated that some may be held to additional or different standards from others “specific to our respective roles within the community.”
Though many seem to think the presence of a written document is important, not all agree on what the document should include.
“There seems to be a superfluous amount of Scripture considering the document is only three pages long,” said junior Lily Ngo. “I think the diversity of Pepperdine’s campus and its great mix of people is being neglected.”
Students, staff, and faculty alike are encouraged to review the Code of Ethics and comment on what they liked, disliked, or feel should be included or deleted from the document. Comments and emails will continue to be accepted until Nov. 1 of this year.
09-28-2006
