EMORY UNIVERSITY: Ethical Principles

Ethical Principles: Ethical Principles


As an ethically engaged institution, Emory University affirms the conviction that education exerts a powerful force to enable and ennoble the individual, and that the privilege of education entails an obligation to use knowledge for the common good.



In harmony with this conviction, we who belong to the Emory community affirm that the pursuit of knowledge and truth is the university’s reason for existence. We pursue these ends honestly, unflinchingly, and whole-heartedly, as we treasure and seek to foster academic freedom and the widest possible diversity of opinion in an atmosphere of civil discourse.



Members of Emory are expected to strive for the highest degree of integrity. The university’s resources, both natural and fiscal, are entrusted to us for the common good and for future generations; the university and we, its members, are expected to exercise wise stewardship over these resources and to guard against their misappropriation or misuse. All conflicts of interest and of commitment are to be promptly addressed, and all possible steps are to be taken to eliminate the conflicts or to manage them to ensure that they do not undermine the integrity of our institution or ourselves.



Emory seeks to uphold the dignity and rights of all persons through fair treatment, honest dealing, and respect. Emory is committed to creating an environment of work, teaching, living, and learning that enables all persons to strive toward their highest potential. Members of the Emory community in positions of authority carry a particular obligation to exercise care and compassion, and appropriately confidential or personal information must be safeguarded.



As an organization comprising thousands of persons in a shared enterprise, Emory fosters collegiality in order to advance our mission of teaching, research, service, and healthcare. While frictions often emerge, we seek to resolve conflict through the active practice of community.



By our participation in the Emory community, each of us assumes responsibility for our actions and will be held accountable for them. Similarly, members of our community are responsible for holding each other and the university to these ethical principles. Members of the Emory community are expected to abide by these principles, regardless of the letter of the law.



Approved by the Board of Trustees
9 February 2005