BAU’s Code of Ethics aims at achieving the following objectives:
- Fostering loyalty to the University.
- Determining the basic ethical standards for the conduct of persons active within the context of the university community, namely the conduct of university students, academic staff, and non-academic staff.
- Adopting high levels for the above standards, working towards achieving them and urging all to persevere in applying them.
- Inducing all academic staff to adhere to the freedom of scientific research and teaching.
- Ensuring adherence to social responsibility in all University activities through steering these activities towards serving the larger community.
- Promoting the University’s positive characteristics and image on all levels.
The term “Persons active within the context of the university community” to whom the rules of this code and its stipulations apply, is assigned to cover the following persons:
- Academic staff, by which we mean teachers and lecturers who work within the academic domain at the University.
- Non-academic staff who constitute the university’s human resources, who by definition are employees at the administration body, and workers who assist in the fields of services.
- Students who are registered at the University, in the academic sections, in special programs, in electronic tutoring or in distant learning.
- Graduates of BAU who frequent the University relatively regularly, or those who are engaged in any form with the University, and who do not fit in any of the above categories.
- Suppliers, contractors, part-timers and consultants, be they individuals or establishments who serve the University for a material return- be it liquid resources, fixed assets, or certain services within the scope of these assets, within the duration of their dealing or relation with the University within the scope of this relation
- Establishments or individuals who provide the University with paid services, be they professional, manual, scientific, medical, artistic, athletic, social, or general services regardless of their nature, and that is for the whole time expended in the fulfillment of these services
- Volunteers, be they individuals or establishments, who provide the University with free services or work at the University for no financial return.
- Establishments or individuals who benefit from the services that the University offers to the community in general
- Institutions or individuals who have a relation with the University in any domain and whose relation with the University becomes confirmed in this concern.
Chapter One
General Principles
Article One: Allegiance
Academic staff, non-academic staff, researchers and students have an obligation to confirm their loyalty to the University through upholding its core values and academic traditions.
Article Two: University Values
The University’s basic values are academic distinction, honesty and integrity in teaching and scientific research, autonomy, freedom in conducting research, respect for individuality and safety, social justice, equality amongst individuals, scientific integrity, good conduct, setting good role-models, and honorable representation of the University. It is the responsibility of the persons active within the context of the University to uphold these values through:
- Committing to integrity of behavior which is translatable into professional excellence and ethical behavior;
- Adhering to responsible and decisive attitudes in their actions;
- Adhering to the practice of tolerance in their human relations;
- Openness towards new ideas that intrinsically bear elevated objectives;
- Enhancing benevolent and parental relations between staff members and the students.
Article Three: University Mission
Academic staff, researchers and students should support the University mission through:
- Serious and responsible participation in university committees and activities;
- Interaction with the society in accordance with the University’s core values;
- Keenness on promoting the University’s high status within the community.
Article Four: Professional Obligation
Academic staff, researchers and non-academic staff should entirely and regularly fulfill their work obligations and address themselves to the spirit of individual initiative and readiness to engage in whatever they are commissioned to perform of other duties.
Article Five: Scientific Research
Academic staff should engage in scientific research by conducting researches, contributing to the advancement of scientific research, as well as promoting research among students and other researchers.
Article Six: Objectivity
Academic staff should observe intellectual objectivity, as well as openness towards and acceptance of new ideas while avoiding extremity.
Article Seven: Tolerance and Acceptance of the Other
Academic staff, researchers, non-academic staff and students should show tolerance and acceptance of the Other.
Chapter Two
Teaching Issues (Academic Freedom)
Article Eight: The Aim of Teaching
The aim of teaching is to propagate knowledge and encourage creative thinking and constructive criticism within the human society.
Article Nine: Academic Freedom
Academic freedom is an inherent right of the Academic staff as well as students. They have an obligation to preserve it and ensure its continuity. This freedom is practiced through teaching as well as research and creative activities, and within the boundaries publically acceptable moral values and in accordance with the University standards in particular.
Article Ten: Duties & Responsibilities
Academic freedom guarantees academic independence for students who are committed to meeting its objectives through undertaking informed studies in the light of full respect for personal initiative, while adhering to the generally acceptable rules of behaviour and ethical standards, as well as those stipulated in this code.
Article Eleven: Openness and the Involvement of Students in the Educational Process
Academic staff, along with the students, constitute an integrated community in view of the formers’ openness towards students, ensuring a teaching environment that incentivizes scientific research, and urging students to blend in the educational process with the aim of developing it continuously.
Chapter Three
Issues of Scientific Research - Credibility and Transparency in Scientific Research
Article Twelve: Freedom and Integrity of Scientific Research
Scientific research rests on academic freedom and freedom of research as well as personal integrity, credibility, and transparency in research.
Article Thirteen: Progress Matching & Community Serving
- Academic staff shall be keen in their research activities on keeping abreast with the scientific progress in the world in accordance with current technological progress and with the aim of implementing the policy of quality and accreditation.
- Academic staff seek, through their research activities, to serve the community and help develop the environment.
Article Fourteen: Credibility & Transparency
Credibility and transparency in scientific research are implemented through the legally guaranteed respect of copyrights, quoting research achievements of other scientists appropriately, consistency in using proper research methods, proper and professional interpretation of results, honest reporting of data, and the objective study of research hypotheses.
Chapter Four
Research Procedures
Article Fifteen: Respect of Ethical Rules
Researchers should respect ethical rules and international standards that are applicable to their context of work within the field of research, especially in the domain of vital medical research that is conducted on humans and tissues as well as other research activities that focus on humans for their results, and that could affect the status and reputation of individuals. In addition, researchers should respect the rules that are set in this Code of Ethics.
Chapter Five
Activities That Take Place Outside the University
Article Sixteen: Adherence to Prior Approval
Academic staff and researchers may not undertake outside the University activities that are not permitted, except after the University issuing a prior approval in accordance with the University’s rules and regulations.
Article Seventeen: Commitment to the University statutes
Academic staff and researchers, on participating in activities outside the University, should commit to BAU rules and core values.
Chapter Six
Human Resources
Article Eighteen: Excellence & Good Treatment
Beirut Arab University is an establishment that is committed to achieving excellence and securing an environment which supports this objective. Likewise it is committed to the treatment of every individual in the community with respect and integrity.
Article Nineteen: Equality
- The University is keen on realizing the principle of equality and the repulsion of extremism and discrimination among members of the human community, and offering them equal opportunities regardless of colour, race, religion, origin, family status, gender, age, physical disability, social status, or social class.
- The University has the right to take any and all legal procedures that its lists of rules and regulations enable it to take towards the person(s) that may be in violation of the principle of equality
Chapter Seven
Accounts and Financial Reports
Article Twenty: Accounts and Financial Reports
- All University accounts should be accurate and clear, and should cover financial operations in their totality and all that may be termed as such operations that may affect the financial status of this institution (BAU). This also covers all financial reports, tax statements, regular schedules, and any other documents inclusive of documents that are submitted to government departments.
- Receipts listed in records and registers should show accurately and clearly all the operations and dealings that these receipts refer to.
Chapter Eight
Adherence to Laws
Article Twenty - One: Abiding by the Rules
- All members of the BAU community should abide by the rules and regulations applicable at the University.
- It is the responsibility of directors to guide their staff and raise their awareness as to the commitment to these rules and regulations, in addition to monitoring their abidance by these.
Chapter Nine
Contractual Commitments
Article Twenty - Two: Contractual Right
The University has the right to conclude contracts, and to finance the projects it is sponsoring. It shall be represented, in the contracts, by whoever the University delegates for this purpose.
Chapter Ten
Safety and Environmental Health In the Workplace
Article Twenty - Three: Safe Environment
- BAU is committed to the safety and health of the persons active in the context of the University through securing a proper work environment and providing security and safety in the workplace. The University is also committed to allowing access to necessary information, to conducting the drills necessary for ensuring public safety, to obviating health dangers and providing necessary safeguards.
- The members of the University community are committed to abide by safety procedures, commit to healthy lifestyles, and obey all environmental and health rules and regulations that govern safety and security practices.
Chapter Eleven
Professional Non- University Standards
Article Twenty - Four: Respect of Standards & Rules
Some of the vocational fields of specialization that the University offers are subject to specific standards and rules that aim at realizing a certain level of discipline in these professions. Subject to these standards and rules are also the persons who practice these professions, such as lawyers, chartered accountants, medical doctors, architects, etc.
These standards and vocational rules are specific to these professions and all their practitioners. Even though the University is not directly responsible for laying down and defining these standards and rules, albeit it shall ensure that they are respected by all the persons and practitioners in these groups working at the University.
Chapter Twelve
Expending and Using the University Resources
Article Twenty - Five: The Use of Resources
- Academic staff, non-academic staff and students at the University should use the facilities, equipments and tools that are in their care for the purposes they are designed for, in accordance with their nature, and not in violation of legally acknowledged requirements of general safety. They also have to use these resources wisely to ensure that the returns would benefit as many as possible of the University community members.
- It is prohibited to use the University resources for personal benefit, unless prior authorization to do so has been issued in writing by the University.
- The University resources include, but are not restricted to, telephones and other communication networks, data services and network links, University vehicles and machinery, various equipment such as computers, etc., in addition to financial tools that assist in purchases such as credit cards and ancillary expenses.
Chapter Thirteen
Administrative Posts at the University
Article Twenty - Six: Behavior & Decision-Making
Academic staff, who hold administrative posts at the University, are committed in their conduct to the highest ethical standards. They should carry out the duties that are levied on their shoulders, with absolute responsibility and loyalty, and in accordance with academic traditions, keeping in mind the long term effects of the procedures they may propose. They should further seek to achieve harmony between points of view during the decision–making process.
Chapter Fourteen
Prohibited Actions
Article Twenty - Seven: Prohibited Actions
Persons active within the context of BAU and who are subject to this code are to refrain from undertaking the actions stated hereinafter to avoid incurring the penalties specified in the University laws and regulations, without prejudice to any other harsher legal penalty that the state may inflict upon the violator.
- Deliberate damage to, or exposure to damage of, University possessions.
- Deliberate damage to monies owned by persons active within the context of the University, incinerating them or exposing them to danger.
- Acts of aggression towards persons of any kind or form, including, but not restricted to, beating, insults, threats, physical violence, harassment and harrying.
- Contravening any of the legal rules that are applicable at the University, or, directly or indirectly, acting as accessory to, or as instigator of the contravention to these rules.
- Abusing computers, regardless of the form that this abuse may take.
- Participating in or instigating demonstrations, or acting towards, or instigating the disruption of classes, and aborting or attempting to abort any University activities.
- Committing any action that may cause discrimination between individuals or groups.
- Committing any action that may be termed as dishonesty, cheating, forgery, defacing or deceit.
- Illegal entry into unauthorized areas at the University.
- Possessing legally prohibited materials such as drugs, weapons, or any other materials or items prohibited to be possessed or dealt in by the law and by the university rules.
- Committing acts that contravene public proprieties on campus and outside it.
- Spreading and propagating rumours inside the University community.
- Causing or inciting chaos at the University.
- Practicing any activities or actions outside the University, that may contravene inherent University values and traditions
Chapter Fifteen
Ethics and Conduct Committee
Article Twenty - Eight: Ethics and Conduct Committee
The University Council has the authority to appoint a committee for ethics and conduct, and to determine the number of its members, their terms of service, their responsibilities, and their fields of specialization.
BAU trainings
Our university provides training based on those values at all levels of the organization such as:
- “Her Civic Quest” project With Human Rights Center at Beirut Arab University
- "Research Ethics and Authorship" Seminar
- Webinar on “Research Ethics in the Arab region"
- Webinar on: “Ethics in the time of climate change in the Arab region from young researchers’ perspectives”
iConnect
