The key role of institutional ethics in universities

Universities have played a key role in national development through their work in teaching, research, knowledge creation and transfer, and have forged a special link with their environment and communities. It is important to highlight their contribution to ethical reflection, both in their internal work and personal development and on society as a whole.

As well as transmitting new knowledge, universities must address issues that encourage reflection and in-depth critical debate and thinking. This must always be done within a framework of academic freedom, transparency and university autonomy.

All higher education institutions have this mission, but Catholic universities have a unique contribution to the holistic understanding of people due to their appeal to a dialogue between faith and reason. By including transcendence and joint reflection in the space between philosophy and theology as a central part of the university ethos, we aim to make a substantive contribution to society.

Main principles and values

Institutional ethics are understood as the set of principles and values that guide the behaviour of the university community, particularly its senior leadership and, in a broad sense, its professors, professionals, administrative staff, and students.

In recent years, this concept has evolved to include a more complex and interdisciplinary vision that incorporates academic honesty and integrity, quality, together with respect for the dignity of the individual, labour justice, gender equity, social inclusion, social responsibility, and a broad view of the challenges for the future, among other issues.

The implementation of university ethics is about the way in which problems with ethical implications are identified, addressed and managed. They include academic management, integrity in research, promotion of gender equity, quality standards for teaching, transparency in economic management, conflicts of interest, and more. In all these processes, ethical leadership is key to imbuing the institution with a vision that is consistent with its values.

Ethical principles

The general ideas and principles that must be present in the institution can be summarised as: integrity, that is, acting with honesty and consistency; responsibility, which means being accountable for the consequences of decisions and actions; quality, justice, and equity.

It is important to note that, in the public sector, the main component of ethics is probity, which implies acting in the public or higher interest, prioritising this interest over individual or group aspirations. In addition, the participation of community members and diverse ideas and cultures are considered important, along with transparency and access to information.

These principles should be incorporated and applied in all university work and especially in interpersonal relationships. Projected lines of research in the development of ethics in university institutions include advancing university governance; government management; ethics of academic leadership; organisational climate; and implementation of codes of ethics and academic integrity.

Ethics and culture

The discussion of institutional ethics and the behaviour of the university community cannot be reduced only to administrative rules or declarations of principles, which are undoubtedly very important and necessary but must be implemented and integrated into the organisational culture, being used in daily practice and especially in the institutions’ strategic decision-making.

Thus, the implementation of university ethics can be seen in the way in which ethical problems, conflicts of interest, academic management, quality systems, research development, promotion of gender equality, economic management, etcetera, are identified, addressed and managed.

Mission and ethics

Universities must also consider the importance that people – members of the university community – attribute to the institution, so that feeling part of and represented by it enables collective participation. In a broad sense, the vision of an organisation can be summed up by its capacity to anticipate the future and in its efforts to move towards that future goal. The organisational vision must therefore encompass the ethical vision that each university institution presents.

The definition of and active information about the university’s specific mission is an effective means to achieve unity of purpose among the different actors in the organisation, orienting their behaviour towards a common direction. To this end, the channels of communication within the institution must be broad, accessible, transparent and known to the whole community.

Governance and ethical decision-making

Governance and ethics cannot be understood as separate spheres. Good governance needs to be underpinned by a strong ethical foundation, and strong institutional ethics require adequate governance structures to enable their implementation and monitoring. Both dimensions complement each other in building legitimate, transparent and accountable institutions.

The lines of research that are necessary for the development of ethics in university institutions include aspects such as governance and university government; the ethics of academic leadership; organisational climate; proposed structures; codes of ethics and their implementation; academic integrity and student responsibility; diversity, inclusion, equity, and equal opportunities; policies of transparency and access to information; links with the environment and society; and allocation of resources and financing of the system.

In all the processes described above, ethical leadership is undoubtedly key to imbuing the institution with an ethical vision. In this way, university authorities must be aware that they are seen as role models. This must be reflected in appropriate behaviour, with decisions that are prudent, as well as with vision and determination, putting the person at the centre.

In short, leadership has the challenge of promoting reflection and critical analysis, trust and transparency, coexistence in the community, and concern for well-being and the common good, together with a vision of the future backed by innovative proposals connected to national needs.

The role of leadership

In higher education, leadership must begin with academic credibility. A university leader must have a strong disciplinary background and a recognised track record of academic contributions. This includes both research that advances knowledge and an involvement in teaching and training new generations.

This basic foundation is essential to generate legitimacy within the academic community, especially in the eyes of one’s peers. Leadership that emerges from academic respect provides a more sustainable moral authority than power derived solely from a hierarchical position.

The credibility of a university leader depends on integrity, transparency in decision-making and a demonstrated commitment to the core values of academic life: freedom of inquiry, respect for truth, and service to the common good.

Throughout their academic career, and especially in leadership positions, ethical consistency must be visible and non-negotiable. In addition to academic and ethical prestige, university leaders must act as a source of motivation and direction. Their leadership must inspire trust, generate enthusiasm and mobilise collective energy towards shared goals. This involves articulating a clear and compelling vision, defining strategic priorities and promoting a culture of participation.

The state of institutional ethics

Empirical evidence about institutional ethics reveals that the field of university governance has moved from an initial stage, focused on institutional management and structural reforms, to a phase of greater theoretical maturity, characterised by the integration of critical, contextual and interdisciplinary approaches. This evolution reflects a conceptual broadening that incorporates new interpretative frameworks and emerging issues related to equity, ethics, participation and sustainability.

In universities, it would be valuable to promote the creation of a coordinated structure for institutional ethical issues, with the aim of establishing a holistic, coherent approach to the challenges faced by institutions.

In this context, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, promoting scientific publications in different languages and strengthening inter-institutional collaboration networks are key strategies for moving towards more participatory models of university governance. These actions will not only enrich the field of study but will also have an impact on the transformations needed within higher education institutions themselves.

It is important to incorporate the study of ethics on strategic decision-making in the development of universities, analysing their respective effects on institutional results.

Collaborative work between researchers from different institutions, countries and complementary areas will allow progress to be made in the evaluation of the different realities that will enable advances to be made in improving the quality of institutional ethics. The situation and arguments that we describe are important challenges that reflect areas of academic development with great potential to contribute to national development.

Ignacio Sánchez MD is the former president and a full professor of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Chile; Diego Durán is the academic coordinator of the Internal Quality Assurance system at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; and Emilio Rodríguez-Ponce is the rector of Universidad de Tarapacá, Chile.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.