Standard Eleven

Integrity

The institution subscribes to and advocates high ethical standards in the management of its affairs and in all of its dealings with students, faculty, staff, its governing board, external agencies and organizations, and the general public.  Through its policies and practices, the institution endeavors to exemplify the values it articulates in its mission and related statements.

11.1          The institution expects that members of its community, including the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students, will act responsibly and with integrity; and it systematically provides support in the pursuit thereof. Institutional leadership fosters an atmosphere where issues of integrity can be openly considered, and members of the institutional community understand and assume their responsibilities in the pursuit of integrity.

CCSU leaders understand their statutory and ethical responsibilities, and this understanding is shown in CCSU’s Mission Statement, the CSU Ethics Statement, CCSU’s Affirmative Action policies, and its Faculty Handbook. Transparency of government and honesty encourage an atmosphere where issues of integrity can be openly considered. By providing for academic freedom and respect for First Amendment rights, the university demonstrates the importance of creating and maintaining a university accessible to all students in their pursuit of knowledge.  CCSU’s historic support for freedom to pursue, teach and disseminate knowledge is reflected in its AAUP and SUOAF collective bargaining agreements. Support is also found in CCSU’s “Policy on Academic Misconduct,” and again echoed in the system-wide “statement of civility” in CCSU’s student handbook: “The opportunity to live, study, and work in an institution which values diverse intellectual and cultural perspectives and encourages discussion and debate about competing ideas in an atmosphere of civility is a basic component of quality higher education. “

11.2          Truthfulness, clarity, and fairness characterize the institution’s relations with all internal and external constituencies. Adequate provision is made to ensure academic honesty. Appropriate policies and procedures are in effect and periodically reviewed for matters including intellectual property rights, the avoidance of conflict of interest, privacy rights, and fairness in dealing with students, faculty, and staff. The institution’s educational policies and procedures are applicable and equitably applied to all its students.

All of the university’s dealings with external constituencies are governed by contracts that include many of CCSU’s core principles such as nondiscrimination and respect for the privacy rights of students.  All contracts entered into by CCSU are approved by Connecticut’s Office of the Attorney General and are subject to Connecticut’s open records laws.   CCSU also abides by state law governing its relationship with the private foundation established for CCSU’s benefit.  Furthermore, CCSU has disseminated policies and guidance available from a state ethics compliance officer regarding conflicts of interest rules required under the state ethics code that prohibit any employees from engaging in outside employment or contractual work that would impair the employee’s independence of judgment or that would encourage the disclosure of confidential information.  In its relations with internal groups, CCSU adheres to the same high standards.  Its undergraduate Policy on Academic Misconduct requires professors to impose academic sanctions for misconduct and to refer students to CCSU’s Office of Student Conduct which imposes additional sanctions such as referring students to an Academic Integrity Workshop.  To ensure integrity in grading, CCSU has an Appeals for Grade Changes Policy and, to ensure student privacy, a privacy policy in its student handbook.  Through its Student Disability Services office, CCSU promotes fairness by supporting students and staff/faculty with disabilities, by providing all groups with procedures for reasonable accommodation and special complaint and grievance procedures to ensure equal access to education and employment opportunities.  Concerned with the honesty and integrity of its employees, CCSU has also established a Policy for Development and Maintenance of the University Web Site, requiring that all posted material conform to copyright and other intellectual property laws, among others, and license agreements and contracts.  In this regard, the governing collective bargaining agreement protects intellectual property rights (invention and copyright authorship protections) of faculty members by incorporating by reference state statutory law.    

11.3          The institution is committed to the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. It assures faculty and students the freedom to teach and study a given field, to examine all pertinent data, to question assumptions, and to be guided by the evidence of scholarly research.

CCSU is committed to the pursuit of academic freedom for both faculty and students as evidenced by several of its publications.  As part of its Mission Statement, CCSU’s goals include, “the development of knowledge and its application in an environment of intellectual integrity with open discourse.” “The faculty’s commitment to scholarly inquiry ensures the intellectual vitality of our classrooms.”  Similarly, its “Graduate Tenets” demonstrate CCSU’s commitment to the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge, most notably in its tenet of “Scholarly Inquiry:  To foster a spirit of intellectual curiosity, reflective thinking, and the application of rigor in the evolving formulation of knowledge.”  Further evidence is seen within the Faculty Senate, an entity that was established to voice the will of the faculty, which has decision-making authority over matters involving academic freedom.  The Senate By-laws establish a special Committee on Academic Freedom to review and report to the Senate on “all matters of academic freedom within the University.”  Finally, the University’s Policy on Academic Misconduct includes specific statements about academic freedom such as, “we believe that one of the purposes of a University education is for students to learn to think critically, to develop evaluative skills, and to express their own opinions and voices.”

Both the teaching and administrative faculty collective bargaining agreements contain provisions on academic freedom (the AAUP and SUOAF agreements respectively).  The AAUP agreement affords its members “full freedom in research, in the classroom in discussing their assigned subjects, freedom to conduct their courses, and freedom to determine grades.”  It also establishes an Academic Freedom Panel that investigates and mediates complaints, and issues findings.  Both Management and Confidential Professional Personnel & SUOAF members who are assigned teaching responsibilities are given the same academic freedom and grievance procedure that the Board of Trustees extends to members of the teaching faculty. Examples of the university’s deep commitment to academic freedom can be seen in its decision to proceed with a controversial in-service teaching workshop on the Middle East and its establishment of a Task Force on Journalistic Integrity to examine the legal issues surrounding student speech in the campus newspaper.   

11.4          The institution observes the spirit as well as the letter of applicable legal requirements. It has a charter and/or other formal authority from the appropriate governmental agency authorizing it to grant all degrees it awards; it has the necessary operating authority for each jurisdiction in which it conducts activities; and it operates within this authority.

As a public institution of higher education in Connecticut, CCSU is governed in its administration and operation by section 10a of the Connecticut General Statutes. The statutes establish the Connecticut State University System, of which CCSU is a part, and create and grant the powers of administration to a system-wide Board of Trustees. The Board is given operating and degree-granting authority and the power to establish and administer CSU’s operating fund.  These laws mandate accountability and transparency, and provide a broad framework under which the Board must formulate its system-wide polices, under which CCSU must operate. As a state University, CCSU must also act in accordance with the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act, which provides for transparency in the conduct of public business; Connecticut’s code of Ethics for public officials and state employees; and the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, which ensures student privacy. CCSU abides by Connecticut’s contract bidding laws that dictate how and when competitive bids and proposals must be solicited. Recent changes to state ethics laws ensure accountability by all state employees.

11.5          The institution adheres to non-discriminatory policies and practices in recruitment, admissions, employment, evaluation, disciplinary action, and advancement. It fosters an atmosphere within the institutional community that respects and supports people of diverse characteristics and backgrounds.

The university’s teaching faculty collective bargaining agreement widely provides that no member be discriminated against on the basis of “age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or ethnic or cultural origin, nor with respect to any legal behavior not detrimental to the students or other members of the university community.” Search committees must employ affirmative action when selecting candidates. Also, the Office of Diversity and Equity’s mission includes coordinating the University’s promotion and development of a culturally diverse community, and guiding CCSU in achieving diversity through training and investigation of complaints. The Faculty Handbook provides that “it is…the policy of the leadership of Central Connecticut State University to advance social justice and equity by exercising affirmative action to remove all discriminatory barriers to equal employment opportunity and upward mobility…” This includes consistent review of personnel policies and procedures to target and eliminate practices that have a discriminatory impact. Lastly, the Faculty Senate Diversity Committee supports and designs programs and events that promote and incorporate diversity in all hiring and promotion decisions.

11.6          The institution manages its academic, research and service programs, administrative operations, responsibilities for students and interactions with prospective students with honesty and integrity.

CCSU has enacted policies and procedures to ensure that programs, operations, and responsibilities are managed with honesty and integrity. These policies ensure that there is independent input or review of programs by different administrative and academic departments or committees as well as appeals procedures to ensure the fair and consistent application of policies.

For example, the governance structure of CCSU’s Faculty Senate serves as a cornerstone for honesty and integrity in academic, research, and service programs. The Senate has decision-making authority in such areas as curriculum matters, degree requirements, scholastic standards, academic freedom, admission policies, and student behavior. The Senate serves in an advisory capacity in the appointment of administrative officers, budget and planning matters, university organizational structure, promotion and tenure policy, and in other matters affecting the educational quality and mission of the university An example of Faculty Senate approved policies implemented through administrative departments are  Dismissal procedures, which ensure that students have a right to a dismissal hearing to petition for academic probation, and CCSU’s Appeals for Grade Changes policy which offers students a process by which to contest their grades.

Moreover, CCSU’s Academic Affairs division ensures that students are treated with honesty and integrity.  For example, Student Disability Services informs students of their rights and responsibilities with regard to obtaining reasonable accommodations, including course accommodations and auxiliary aids.  This division also requires that all research be conducted in an ethical manner. Financial aspects are managed through the Office of Grants Administration with procedures for proper expenditure and accounting. Any research involving human subjects must be approved by the Human Studies Council and adhere to federal guidelines. Any research involving animals must follow IACUC guidelines. Research involving University databases must also be approved by the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment and must adhere to the University Data Collection Policy.

The Divisions of Administrative Affairs and Student Affairs together manage operations related to the health, welfare, and physical environment seamlessly.   The internationally accredited CCSU Police department manages its responsibility for campus safety in part through 200 cameras and utilization of email to immediately warn of dangerous activities or persons. The University’s emergency preparedness plan and the annual Clery report are available on its website. Advisory boards and committees provide input to Residence Life, CCSU’s Heath Center, its Wellness and Counseling Center and its Women’s Center on services and programs for physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, such as the Flu Clinics for Students and employees, Residence Life activities and services assisting rape victims.  Responsibilities are managed with honesty and integrity in other ways such as the Athletics Department policies following NCAA’s established recruiting guidelines or the Student-Athlete Code of Conduct with a drug-screening protocol that allows for a pre-sanction appeals process.

CCSU manages its interactions with prospective students to ensure they are treated with the same honesty and fairness as enrolled students. Through its Office of Recruitment and Admissions, CCSU offers admissions advising to all undergraduate applicants. Through its Fresh Start Policy the university gives select students whose education has been interrupted a clean slate by eliminating their historic GPA. CCSU's programs for Pre-Collegiate and Access Services provide tutoring, academic advising and a six-week summer program to give qualified students the right foundation to succeed.

11.7          The institution is responsible for conferences, institutes, workshops, or other instructional or enrichment activities that are sponsored by the institution or carry its name. These activities are compatible with the institution’s purposes and are administered within its organizational structure. The institution assumes responsibility for the appropriateness and integrity of such activities.

A significant aspect of CCSU’s mission is to “encourage the development and application of knowledge and ideas through...outreach activities... [and] to be a significant resource contributing to the cultural and economic development of Connecticut.” CCSU sponsors many outreach activities that are open to students, particular groups, or the public. These events are administered through the sponsoring CCSU departments or centers. Events sponsored by academic departments are reviewed and approved through the academic deans’offices and purchasing and accounting processes.  Events sponsored through centers follow a similar process with their administrators.  Conferences and speakers offered through grants are also reviewed in the grants approval process.  CCSU also makes its facilities available to groups that are not affiliated with the university so long as they have a university sponsor. All such events are handled by CCSU’s Events Management department.  Events Management ensures that all events run at the university are appropriate for the university’s educational mission.

The variety of events is extensive. The Vance Distinguished Lecture Series has hosted such speakers as Dan Rather, George H.W. Bush and Shimon Peres. CCSU’s Center for Africana Studies annual conference supports its mission of “address[ing] misconceptions about the contribution of Continental and Diaspora Africans to the global community.” The 2007 “Language of Images” conference involved interdisciplinary discussion on such topics as literary elements in cinema, and text and image in German literature, creating a richer understanding of how disciplines support each other. The Connecticut Council for the Social Studies’ (CCSS) recent conference offered workshops on integrating language arts, social studies and the fine and visual arts in elementary through secondary education.  

11.8          The institution has established and publicizes clear policies ensuring institutional integrity. Included among them are appropriate policies and procedures for the fair resolution of grievances brought by faculty, staff, or students.

Among CCSU’s policies that ensure institutional integrity are its Ethics policy that applies to all employees, its bidding policies that apply to all contracts for purchases over a set threshold and its affirmative action policies that govern all hiring for full time positions.  Additionally, to ensure that the highest ethical standards are met and that the rights and welfare of human research participants are protected, CCSU has a Human Studies Council which reviews and approves any research projects untaken by university employees that involve human beings.

The university also has a number of procedures to address grievances, disputes, and complaints from its community.  In May of 2005, the university re-established its ombudsperson position to provide a non-legal, pragmatic form of justice for matters of concern for the entire campus community.  A neutral third party, the Ombudsperson investigates complaints, mediates solutions, expedites processes and advocates for specific action.  CCSU also has established union contractual grievance procedures for faculty and administrative employees as well as six additional collective bargaining grievance procedures for all other employees, including clerical, maintenance, police officers, and other support service employees.  Through its Office of Diversity and Equity, CCSU has a formal internal complaint procedure to address complaints from employees and students of discrimination and harassment based on protected status.  Through its Human Resources department, CCSU has an ADA-Reasonable Accommodation policy to address the concerns of disabled applicants and employees. For its students, CCSU has a system wide Code of Conduct and Guidelines for Student Rights and Responsibilities and Judicial Procedures.

11.9          In its relationships with the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, the institution demonstrates honesty and integrity, and it complies with the Commission’s Standards, policies, Requirements of Affiliation, and requests.

Each year the university files an annual report with the Commission to facilitate the Commission’s monitoring of its accreditation between site evaluations.  For example, since the Commission’s 1998 site visit, CCSU has consistently filed these annual reports.  CCSU also filed its Fifth Year Report in 2003, responding to issues raised by the Commission in 1998.  In its reports, CCSU has typically reported any substantive changes that have occurred within the reporting period.  In preparing CCSU’s 2007 annual report, however, CCSU’s newly assigned accreditation liaison officer noted that CCSU had not reported a substantive change in its off campus instructional activities. She immediately contacted Ms. Louise Zak, the Commission’s Associate Director, who instructed her to include it on the 2007 annual report and also to provide a separate report to the Commission pursuant to the guidelines for preparing reports on the establishment of off campus programming: additional instructional sites.  This same officer also discovered that although CCSU had reported the establishment of its Data Mining program in its 2002 annual report under section 9 (Distance Education Programs), it had not reported it under section 6 (Major Institutional Changes).  As a result, CCSU had not sent the required separate report for reporting distance or online education to the Commission.  To correct these oversights, CCSU has now filed both additional reports with the Commission.

In order to try to prevent such oversights and generally to comply with the Commission’s standards, policies, and requirements of affiliation, CCSU’s representatives attend the yearly NEASC conference.

11.10      In addition to the considerations stated in this Standard, the institution adheres to those requirements related to institutional integrity embodied in all other Commission Standards.

CCSU adheres to requirements related to institutional integrity embodied in other Commission Standards. For example, the Chancellor and Presidential Assessments and the Board’s Resolution to Make CSU More Student-Centered demonstrate integrity in planning and priority-making for the future (Standard Two).  CCSU’s Undergraduate Policy on Academic Misconduct shows the emphasis placed on the academic integrity of CCSU students (Standard Four). CCSU’s Affirmative Action Policy Statement demonstrates the university’s commitment to diversity and its Affirmative Action Program Goals describe how the university brings integrity to its hiring process through evaluation and review of the interview process. Both policies support integrity in relations with CCSU faculty (Standard Five). Finally, the university places great importance on the equality of all students. Student Disability Services offers special support to disabled students by advising them of their rights and responsibilities, fulfilling requests for reasonable accommodations, and providing a special grievance process with CCSU’s ADA Compliance Officer. The university supports its entire student community, including those recovering from mental illness/substance abuse disorders, by offering free counseling and therapy through Central Access and Human Development (Standard Six).  

Institutional Effectiveness

11.11      The pursuit of institutional integrity is strengthened through the application of findings from periodic and episodic assessments of the policies and conditions that support the achievement of these aims among members of the institutional community.

Although CCSU does not have a process in place for systematic university wide assessment, it does conduct surveys to assess its progress in particular areas.  For example, CCSU’s Student Affairs Division has twice administered a comprehensive Student Satisfaction Inventory and its Human Resources department has just administered its first College Employee Satisfaction Survey.  Each time it has administered its student survey, CCSU’s Student Affairs Division has extensively analyzed its results and implemented policy changes in response to those results.  Further, CCSU routinely monitors its compliance with state affirmative action goals by completing an annual affirmative action plan which is filed with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.   

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