Chapter 5
Codes of Conduct

5.4 Professional Responsibilities in Interpersonal Relationships

"At the heart of the University experience is the interchange among faculty, staff and students. This institution's faculty, more than any of its other resources, make North Carolina State University a distinctive setting for the pursuit of academic and professional interests. Accordingly, faculty are encouraged to foster wholesome and appropriate relationships with colleagues, students and staff at North Carolina State University." [NCSU Policy on Interpersonal Relationships]

"Students and staff tend to hold the academic profession in high esteem and invest in relationships with faculty an extraordinary degree of trust and respect. Interactions among members of the academic community can and should be the occasion for enhancing freedom, demonstrating integrity, and encouraging mutual respect. Only by upholding high standards will University personnel be able to meet their collective obligation to each other." [NCSU Policy on Interpersonal Relationships]

"Faculty are responsible for evaluating student progress toward educational goals on the basis of academic performance. Factors such as race, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, ethnic identity, life style, or other activities unrelated to academic achievement shall not be considered in making academic evaluations of students. Discrimination of a racial or sexual nature is a violation of Federal law and North Carolina State University policy." [NCSU Policy on Interpersonal Relationships]

"It is important that significant contributions from students be duly acknowledged by the faculty. The guarantee of students' academic freedom rests upon the assurance that their ideas are their own and will be so acknowledged. While authorship prerogative will follow accepted norms in each discipline, it is the obligation of the senior professional in all collaborative projects to communicate the basis for attribution to all participants at the beginning of the effort." [NCSU Policy on Interpersonal Relationships]

"Any business relationship between a faculty/staff member and a student for whom he/she has supervisory or educational responsibility should be undertaken with due care. Both the fact and semblance of any exploitation must be avoided. Compensation in any professional relationship outside of the student-professor relationship should be commensurate with the individual's training and experience." [NCSU Policy on Interpersonal Relationships]

"While close working relationships are encouraged among faculty, staff and students, it is improper for an individual to exercise direct supervisory, instructional, and/or advising responsibilities, or participate in hiring, retention, promotion, or award decisions, for someone with whom there is a familial, romantic, and/or sexual relationship. Both the fact and semblance of any exploitation must be avoided. The relative difference in power--actual or perceived--in working relationships must be recognized by faculty and staff and not be employed to anyone's advantage or disadvantage." [NCSU Policy on Interpersonal Relationships]