The institution adheres to the highest ethical standards in its representation to its constituencies and the public; in its teaching, scholarship, and service; in its treatment of its students, faculty, and staff; and in its relationships with regulatory and accrediting agencies.

• Code of Ethics for Public Employees

Students

The primary document on the rights and responsibilities of students is the Code of Student Conduct. The Code is provided to all students through new student orientation sessions, course syllabi, and University web sites. The Code is incorporated under state statutes through the Oregon State System of Higher Education. The first section of the Code states that, “The University supports the right of all people to live and learn in a safe and respectful environment that promotes the free and vigorous expression of ideas. Policies and procedures are designed to protect these freedoms and the fundamental rights of others.”

Efforts to treat students in a consistently fair and equitable manner are also manifested in various specific processes. The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education’s Standards for Recruitment and Admissions are used in training of all admissions counselors and provide guidance in the conduct of their work. Resource constraints continue to stretch the ability of existing personnel to maintain high service levels in the face of increasing student loads.

As another example, in 1997 the Faculty Special Admissions Review Committee was created to review the application files of students who have not met University admission standards and who have filed an appeal of their admission denial. This process has improved the consistency of admission decisions thereby serving to enhance equity in University admissions policy. Furthermore, the Committee’s written prescriptions for specific University responsibility for certain student support services or curricular specifications work to support these entering students’ academic success. During 2001-2002, a task force representing The Office of Student Affairs modified the Student Code of Conduct to create clarity within the code regarding purview and process. The Portland State Faculty Senate approved these modifications in June of 2002.

An example to ensure that students are treated fairly at the graduate student level is the requirement that a faculty member from outside the student’s department and program representing the Office of Graduate Studies participates as a committee member on all thesis and dissertation committees. This helps ensure campus-wide consistency in the quality of student research and protects students from excessive committee control.

• Portland State University Code of Student Conduct
• Council on Academic Standards in Higher Education
• External Graduate School faculty on thesis committees

One of the campus-wide efforts to promote ethical behavior was the creation of the Ombuds Office as a place where students, faculty and staff could bring issues and problems they had encountered to the attention of a University official in a protected and supportive environment. The Ombuds Office is thriving; it handled 4,500 visitors and managed 460 cases in 2003-2004. The Ombuds Office has had a significant impact on faculty and students, offering them a safe place to solve problems before they escalate. To handle increases in its caseload, the Ombuds Office added the position of Assistant Ombudsperson in 2001, but budget constraints continue to limit the ability of the Office to keep up with demands. Representatives of the Ombuds office are scheduled to meet quarterly with the President to report on issues heard, their potential and immediate impact on the University, and to suggest possible policy changes.

• Ombuds Office

Examples of the Ombuds' growing influence include:

• Formation of the Student Issues Team in 2003. Monthly meetings regarding student concerns/issues have greatly increased communication and problem solving.
• Formation of the Employee Relations Team in 2003. The team offers constituents involved in workplace relations an opportunity to meet.
• Its central role in implementing mediation as a first step in the University’s Code of Conduct Process. In fall 2002, the Office implemented an Oregon Administrative Rule that includes the Office in the non-contractual grievance process and stops the clock while the office hears a conflict.

In the area of research integrity, the formation of a dual-committee structure for the Human Subjects Research Review Committee in 2001-2002 has reduced workload on committee members and waiting time for investigators, thus helping to maintain time for high quality human subjects review. All graduate student theses and dissertations involving human subjects are reviewed by the Human Subjects Research Review Committee.

• Human Subjects Research Review Committee

In 2004-2005, the Office of University Relations revised the University Development Office Conflict and Information Management Policies and Procedures to strengthen the security and integrity of confidential hard and electronic files. All University Relations staff adheres to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Code of Ethics and the CASE Donor Bill of Rights. Development staff also adheres to the ethics guidelines of the Association of Prospect Researchers for Advancement (APRA). Coordination and oversight of the Alumni Association and the Foundation continue to evolve since the legal separation of these units from the University. One way in which communication and coordination goals are achieved is through membership on and attendance of the Executive Directors of the Alumni Association and the Foundation on the President’s Executive Committee weekly meetings.

Portland State expects its Alumni Association and the Portland State Foundation to represent the University and comply with its ethical standards in the management and operations of all dealings with donors, alumni, students, and the public. In 2001-2002, the Portland State Alumni Association (PSUAA) separated from the Portland State Foundation, establishing itself as a separate private, nonprofit, public-benefit corporation with tax-exempt status. A Statement of Principles and Agreement on the Relationship between Portland State and the PSUAA and new by-laws for PSUAA were developed and implemented as part of this reorganization.

In 2004-2005, Portland State established a database oversight committee to review management of the Portland State Foundation database containing information on donors, alumni, and friends. The database is essential to maintaining the integrity of communications with donors, alumni, and friends. All members of Portland State’s University Relations staff, including constituent employees located in schools and colleges, have signed confidentiality agreements developed to ensure ethical management of these data. To this end, the PSUAA Board members receive an orientation that includes pamphlets from the Attorney General’s office explaining duties and ethics of nonprofit board membership, and conflict of interest.

• Development Office CASE Ethics Standards and Donor Bill of Rights
• Association of Prospect Researchers for Advancement Ethics Code

Institutional Representation of Itself

During the interview phase of the Standard Nine sub-committee’s self-study work, a key informant observed, “Public relations spin can undermine the entire issue of integrity.” More recent activity appears to have taken place within this sub-standard than in others. The Office of Marketing and Communications, the University Webmaster, and the Office of Publications have worked together in ways that uphold the spirit of this sub-standard in a manner deserving of special acknowledgment.

• Admissions Office
• Housing and Residence Life
• President Bernstine's Web page

In 1998, in an effort to integrate communications strategies and tactics and to improve the quality and consistency of external communications by the University to its constituencies, the Office of News and Information Office transitioned to the Office of Marketing and Communications. As a result of this change, the flow of information between the University and the media has increased substantially. In addition, the Office has created tools to increase the amount and quality of the information presented about itself to the media. In 2002, the Office conducted an internal branding survey with faculty, staff, and students to ensure that what was being communicated reflected accurately the values of the campus community. In 2004-2005, an external branding audit was completed with recommendations for next steps in the development and communication of the University to its various constituencies.

• External Branding Audit Report

In 2001 the University unveiled its new electronic institutional portfolio. The portfolio gives the “visitor” the opportunity to experience first hand the ways in which Portland State is striving to meet its primary mission to "enhance the intellectual, social, cultural, and economic qualities of urban life" in our community. The portfolio is the product of Portland State’s participation in the Urban Universities Portfolio Project (as described in Standard 1) and serves as a medium for self-reflection and communication on the University’s goals and objectives. It is conceived as a planning tool that focuses on questions of what we are doing to achieve our mission and why we engage in the activities undertaken.

With respect to the Web, Portland State has made significant progress beginning with the hiring of a Webmaster in 2002 to oversee the University’s representation of itself through the Web.

• Web Development Information: Webmaster and Web Advisory Council

The University Webmaster has:

• Developed core university websites (e.g., Portland State, admissions, registration, financial aid, commencement, orientation, academic advising, University Studies, engineering, giving, etc) to more consistently reflect the mission, vision, and values of the institution.
• Provided a centralized source of independent advice on web projects undertaken by various university departments.
• Formed a Web Advisory Council to help guide policies and a Web Users Group to help communicate and enforce those policies.

In 1994, Portland State’s Office of Publications created a graphic standards guide for use in creating all printed materials on campus (updated in 2001-2002). The Office utilizes and enforces these standards, taking the make-up of the University into account when visually representing Portland State through print materials. All admissions materials are routed through a central source that checks for clarity, grammar, and coherence between printed program descriptions and actual programs. Admissions materials are updated regularly to ensure accuracy.

• Graphics Standards Guide

As a part of University Relations, the University Development Office works with both the Office of Publications and the Office of Marketing and Communications to ensure the integrity of all donor publications, including annual reports and campaign materials.

• Publications Guidelines

Entrepreneurial trends and community engagement are focusing increased attention on conflict of interest issues. Since conflict of interest may occur as a natural outgrowth of working within the community, Portland State is attempting to improve management of potential conflicts by making them clearer and more transparent. For example:

• Small businesses created by faculty are considered a form of faculty development
• The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs policies web page was recently modified to address issues of outside employment, helping ensure that parties are aware of the range of potential conflicts.

These entrepreneurial and community engagement trends also require greater university involvement in commercialization and consideration of intellectual property ownership. Traditional guidelines for ownership of intellectual property may restrict potential roles the University might play in the balance of public and private good. The Office of Research and Sponsored Projects continues to address questions of how commitment to the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge is consistent with Portland State’s mission and goals, and whether furthering public good is consistent with fostering private good. Considering the novel issues that will continue to accompany these emerging trends, guidelines for determining the extent of work outside the University that is appropriate/permissible and the extent to which University resources can be used in outside work may need continual review, updating, and further elaboration.

• Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Conflict of Interest Policy

The Collective Bargaining Agreements between Portland State and the Portland State chapter of AAUP and Portland State and the Portland State chapter of AFT incorporate statements on academic freedom. The AAUP agreement also incorporates the 1940 AAUP Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. While AAUP membership is not required of all faculty members, Portland State considers all faculty members protected by this Statement of Principles. The Portland State chapter of AAUP keeps active and associate members informed of local, national, and international academic freedom issues through its bi-monthly publication Academe, a quarterly newsletter, and a weekly email update.

Statements on academic freedom may be found on page 11 of the collective bargaining agreement between Portland State and AAUP for 2003-2005, and on page 8 of the collective bargaining agreement between Portland State and AFT for the same biennium.

• AAUP Academic Freedom Guide