The code of university ethics and deontology, put up for public debate

The Ministry of Education has submitted for public consultation a draft Government decision for the approval of the framework code of university ethics and deontology, which establishes "clear" and "well-differentiated" norms. According to the Ministry of Education: "The draft Government decision for the approval of the framework code of university ethics and deontology, a subsequent act of the Higher Education Law, represents an important document on the basis of which university ethics and deontology policies will be transposed at the national level. Educational institutions higher will adopt codes at the institutional level, in order to respect the principle of institutional autonomy and academic freedom, respecting the previously mentioned framework code".

According to the cited source, the most important aspects of the framework code project are:" the system of sanctions applicable to all parties involved in the educational process is clearer; there will be, for the first time, a set of reference standards of university ethics and deontology in university management; the decision-making process regarding the deviations from the norms of university ethics and deontology was staged and improved".

It is proposed that, after the adoption of the framework code of university ethics and deontology, the functioning of university ethics commissions will be regulated based on a framework regulation regarding their organization and functioning, adopted by order of the minister. The project provides: "The National Ethics Commission of University Management, hereinafter referred to as CNEMU, pronounces on conflicting situations related to non-compliance with university management ethics and those aimed at violating public responsibility. At the level of each higher education institution, commissions are established university ethics, with a 4-year mandate. The university ethics commission acts independently of any other structure or person within the higher education institution. The framework regulation regarding the organization and functioning of university ethics commissions, at the level of higher education institutions, is approved by order of the Minister of Education. The university ethics commissions in higher education institutions, established for the purpose of preventing and eliminating acts that may generate unethical elements or practices, analyze reports regarding the commission of acts that may constitute deviations from ethics and university deontology".

The types of sanctions applicable to teaching, auxiliary teaching and research staff, including those with management positions, for violating the norms of university ethics and deontology, are: written warning, withdrawal and/or correction of all works published in violation of the norms of university ethics and deontology, dismissal from the management position, prohibition, for a determined period, of access to financing from competitive public funds, suspension, for a determined period of time between one and five years, of the right to apply for a competition for the occupation of a higher position or a management position or as a member of competition commissions, dismissal from a teaching or research position. According to the project, the types of sanctions provided for violating the norms of university ethics and deontology applicable to students, doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers or other categories of students are: written warning, cancellation of evaluation results, expulsion, other sanctions provided by the Code of Ethics and Deontology university of the higher education institution. The project also provides that, in case of non-compliance with the norms of university ethics and deontology by the higher education institution, the Ministry of Education can take the following measures: monitoring for a period between 3 months and one year, in accordance with the provisions of the order of the Minister of Education regarding the establishment of the commission monitoring, the dissolution of the responsible management structures, namely the department council, the faculty council or CSUD, or the dismissal of the rector after consulting the University Senate, ARACIS requests the conduct of an external quality assessment procedure regarding compliance with standards and performance indicators, proposes To the Government, the initiation of a draft decision or law, as the case may be, on the reorganization or dissolution of the higher education institution in question.