Quality Management
Code of Ethics
Goals
As a public educational institution, Pforzheim University has a special social responsibility and serves as an example to the community. To fulfill this responsibility, the Business School has developed guidelines for its teaching, research and administrative staff. In addition to defining regular tasks, these guidelines give an ethical orientation to daily activities, and they sensitize the faculty members to issues of trust, fairness and respect.
Guiding Principles
The guiding principles of the faculty are integrity and respect, awareness and solidarity. We practice zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, disrespect, academic dishonesty and corruption.
The Business School embodies a culture of responsibility, critical thinking and collaboration. It maintains open and honest communication through regular information exchange among all levels of the administration. Mutual feedback is objective and constructive, achieved through personal conversations conducted in a respectful manner.
Leadership and decision-making are grounded in democratic principles. Committees encourage open and constructive discussion; decisions are made through a process of participation, integration and transparency. Issues that involve the entire Business School have precedence over the interests of individuals; however, minority interests are protected. The constitutional right guaranteeing academic freedom is practiced.
Conduct
Instructors engage in current, demanding and motivated teaching. They are aware that they are role models, accept feedback from the student body, and are open to constructive criticism.
They strive for an open and accepting learning environment and support their students’ personal and academic development. They take seriously the concerns of their students and make available a reasonable amount of time outside of the classroom for students’ questions and problems.
They use objective and fair methods in grading, as well as transparency in expected learning outcomes. Valuations of the school, colleagues or students are carefully considered.
Students are open to acquiring new knowledge. They strive for academic and personal development and make use of opportunities and freedoms offered by a collegiate education.
Through appropriate and engaged behavior, they contribute to the success of academic life. They are not simply passive consumers but rather contribute responsibly and critically to the quality of their education.
Staff members perform their assignments flexibly and are goal oriented. Their work is based on collaborative thinking and acting. They are cooperative, responsible and forward-looking when dealing with others.
They make decisions transparently and communicate outcomes in a timely fashion and can expect to be made aware of work-related issues early and appropriately. They take an active role in the decision process regarding Business School’s matters and expect that Business School’s leaders consider their interests.
Personnel in leadership positions serve as role models and ensure through their conduct that the Business School environment is permeated by openness to reflection, mutual respect and appreciation.
They also provide assistance to new faculty members to help ensure that they fulfill their current and future responsibilities and to foster academic and personal development.
Principles of Academic Integrity
All members of the Business School strive to further knowledge and maintain scientific objectivity and integrity in their work. They use no questionable sources and cite the work and ideas of others according to the highest academic standards.
They present their findings according to the best of their knowledge and don’t suppress results that do not fit to their ideological, political or religious views. They make their findings public. Confidential information is protected appropriately.
In the case of expert opinions, members of the faculty maintain academic standards. Possible conflicts of interest are disclosed and, in the case of severe conflicts of interest, studies or expert opinions need to be declined.
In projects, professors, staff and students respect intellectual property laws and university principles for third-party projects.
Ethics Committee
An ethics committee ensures that the goals of this code of ethics are met. Ex-officio members include the advisors on ethics and on equal opportunity, as well as one representative from each of the faculty, staff and student body. The nomination procedure is determined within each individual group. The term for student representatives is one year, and it is two years for faculty and staff members.
The ethics committee consults with the faculty board to refine this code of ethics. Everyone in the Business School community may ask the members of the ethics committee to mediate conflicts. The committee engages only at the request of both conflicting parties and with the express goal of resolving the conflict.
Two years after commencing its work, the ethics committee proposes changes to further develop this code of ethics based on their experience to date.
Members of the ethics committee are required to protect the confidentiality of knowledge acquired during their membership. All documents of the committee and its members are to be kept out of reach of third parties and need to be destroyed after a matter is resolved.
Relationship to Law
The expectations outlined in this code aim to create a hospitable community for all members of the Business School. Nothing in these guidelines, with the exception of confidentiality, shall be deemed to be in conflict with legal requirements, and the law shall take precedence.