Grasping Reality on TypePad, by Brad DeLong

The University writes:

Subject: Ethics briefing for all faculty and staff
Date: Thu, March 22, 2007 6:00 pm
From: XXXX
Subject: Ethics briefing for all faculty and staff

In May 2005, the Regents adopted a Statement of Ethical Values and Standards of Ethical Conduct that describe our values and responsibilities as University employees. As we go about our work, whether we are teaching, engaging in research, or carrying out administrative and management tasks, we must share a common understanding of these ethical values and standards.

Beginning on April 3, all UC Berkeley employees will be required to complete an ethics briefing designed to raise awareness and stimulate thoughtful discussion about ethical conduct. The briefing, which takes about 30 minutes to complete on line, includes interactive scenarios that will give you the opportunity to consider potential ethical challenges that may arise in the course of your work.

Although Vice Chancellors and other Cabinet members will receive completion reports, they will not see any person's individual responses.

You will receive an email message from [email protected] with a link that will take you directly to the online briefing. For employees without access to computers, we will arrange classroom presentations; schedules for these presentations will be announced in mid-April.

Please complete the briefing before Friday, May 18, when the spring semester ends.

You can find more information about ethics and integrity at the following sites:

• UC ethics website http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/compliance/ethics
• UC Berkeley's ethics resources http://controller.berkeley.edu/ethics

Senior UC administrators, including members of the Cabinet here at Berkeley, have already completed the ethics briefing. Although UC Berkeley has a strong record of high ethical standards, we believe that thinking about the issues that can arise in our daily work can only increase our commitment to maintaining those standards in the service of our students, each other, and the public...

Which raises a question, which I ask:

So let me get this straight: Is what is really going on that California Hall and UCOP hide the deals they are giving various high administrators and others from the Regents, and in response we all have to spend 30 minutes on online ethics training of dubious value?

Is this what's really going on?

Isn't this somewhat unethical?

Which gets a response:

When the law school dean crawled into bed with a student, all the deans had to take a class in "how to avoid sleeping with students."

Note sure what happened to those who flunked.