Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility Toolkit

1 Griffith Graduate Attributes Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility Toolkit (D) Socially Responsible and Engaged in their Communities 1. Ethical awareness (professional and personal) and academic apply disciplinary knowledge to solving real life integrity 2. Capacity toproblems in relevant communities 3. Understanding of Social and civic responsibilities, human further learning and professional rights and sustainability 4. Understanding the value ofdevelopment Table of contents Purpose of this Toolkit .. 3 Why your students need to be Ethical and socially responsible citizens .. 5 What employers, graduates and students say about Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility .. 13 Teaching tips How to help your students be ethically aware and socially responsible.

2 15 Assessing students Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility .. 28 Principles .. 37 Where to go for help .. 38 Additional resources .. 39 Appenxdix A- Student 41 Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility 2nd Edition Authorial Attribution: 1st Edition: Crebert, G., Patrick, , & Cragnolini, V. (2004). 2nd Edition: Crebert, G., Patrick, , Cragnolini, V., Smith, C., Worsfold, K., & Webb, F. (2011). Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility Toolkit . (Retrieved from the World Wide Web 4th April, 2011) NOTE: The URLs listed in this Toolkit were current at the time of retrieval. However, please note these may change with time as websites update. Ethical Behaviour & Social Responsibility Toolkit Page 2 Purpose of this Toolkit The Toolkits developed by members of the Griffith Graduate Project are intended primarily for academic staff.

3 They offer an overview of some of the main issues related to developing students graduate skills during their degree studies. They draw heavily on existing literature and current practice in universities around the world and include numerous references and links to useful web resources. They are not comprehensive guides or how to booklets. Rather, they incorporate the perspectives of academic staff, students, graduates and employers on the graduate skills adopted by Griffith University in its Griffith Graduate Statement. Griffith University. (2009). The Griffith Graduate Attributes. (Retrieved from the World Wide Web 1st October 2010) This Toolkit , Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility , focuses on how you can help students to behave ethically in Social , professional and work environments and be responsible and effective citizens.

4 This Toolkit , together with others in the series (as shown in the following table) can be accessed via the Griffith Institute for Higher Education webpage, the URL of which is listed on the following page. GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES DESCRIPTOR Toolkit (1) Knowledgeable and Skilled in their Disciplines Comprehensive knowledge and skills relating to their disciplines n/a An interdisciplinary perspective Interdisciplinary Skills Capacity to find, evaluate and use information Information Literacy Ability to apply discipline/professional skills and knowledge in the workplace Professional Skills (2) Effective Communicators and Team Members Capacity to communicate effectively with others orally Oral Communication Capacity to communicate effectively with others in writing Written Communication Capacity to communicate effectively with others using ICTs, multimedia, visual, musical and other forms appropriate to their disciplines ICT and Other Discipline-Related Communication Skills Capacity to interact and collaborate with others effectively, including in teams, in the workplace, and in culturally or linguistically diverse contexts.

5 Teamwork Skills Ethical Behaviour & Social Responsibility Toolkit Page 3 GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES DESCRIPTOR Toolkit (3) Innovative and Creative, with Critical Judgement Ability to use knowledge and skills to devise solutions to unfamiliar problems Creativity and Innovation* Ability to analyse and critically evaluate arguments and evidence appropriate to their disciplines ( collect analyse and interpret data and information, generate and test hypotheses, synthesise and organise information) Critical Evaluation Knowledge of research methodologies in their disciplines and capacity to interpret findings Research Skills Ability to generate ideas/products/art works/methods/approaches/perspectives as appropriate to the discipline. Creativity and Innovation* (4) Socially Responsible and Engaged in their Communities Ethical awareness (professional and personal) and academic integrity Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility * Capacity to apply disciplinary knowledge to solving real life problems in relevant communities Problem Solving Understanding of Social and civic responsibilities, human rights and sustainability Ethical Behaviour and Social Responsibility * Understanding the value of further learning and professional development Further Learning (5)

6 Competent in Culturally Diverse and International Environments Awareness of and respect for the values and knowledges of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Peoples To be developed Respect, awareness, knowledge and skills to interact effectively in culturally or linguistically diverse contexts Global and International Perspective and Awareness* A global and international perspective on their disciplines. Global and International Perspective and Awareness* NB: * Toolkit covers two sub-attributes. ** Toolkit development in progress Ethical Behaviour & Social Responsibility Toolkit Page 4 Why your students need to be Ethical and socially responsible citizens Definitions ethics ethics has been defined as moral philosophy: the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person.

7 (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edn.). ethics and morals, however, are not the same thing, even though they are inextricably linked. A moral philosophy develops over time and as a result of encountering and resolving moral problems as they arise. Put simply, ethics is: a standard of conduct; and a moral compass that can be applied to a range of situations, , a random act of kindness; a reporter s questioning of a source; or a life-and-death decision in a hospital intensive care unit. Tuffley, D. (2004). Can ethics be Taught? School of Information and Communication Technology, Griffith University. Project report. ethics involves: evaluating personal values; knowledge of personal standards, community and universal principles; choices, and the impact of these choices on others and oneself; both short and long term consequences; and accepting Responsibility for the choices one makes.

8 Bugeja, M. (2000). Defining Character. (Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 14 December 2004). ethics is not: judging others; family values; outcomes; legal rights; or Ethical Behaviour & Social Responsibility Toolkit Page 5 specialists solving personal problems. Bugeja, M. (2000). Defining Character. (Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 14 December 2004) ethics is about making the right decisions for all the right reasons. Tuffley, D. (2004). Can ethics be Taught? School of Information and Communication Technology, Griffith University. Project report, There are two aspects to ethics : The first involves the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil and propriety from impropriety. The second involves the commitment to do what is right, good and proper.

9 ethics entails action; it is not just a topic to mull or debate. The Josephson Institute: What is ethics Anyway? In Maxwell, (2003). There s No Such Thing as Business ethics . New York: Warner. (Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 25 March 2005) Broad (1985), an eminent psychologist, argues that an individual s actions can be analysed according to the following three step process: A connection should be established between one moral characteristic and another , good and right; An examination of the individual s moral philosophy will establish the intent and motive upon which his or her moral judgements are made; and An investigation into the choices individuals make, based upon his or her moral knowledge, reveals their ethics . Broad, (1984). ethics . Nijhoff International Philosophy Series 20.

10 C. Lewy (Ed.). cited in Davies, L. (2003). ethics in Harry Potter: What do we see and what do we learn? Paper presented at Harry Potter and Contemporary Culture, Griffith University, Brisbane. Social Responsibility Social Responsibility is just as hard a term to define as Ethical Behaviour . It is easier to describe than define. For example, Polk ( ) lists the following components of Social Responsibility : Recognition and acceptance of the consequences of each action and decision one undertakes; Caring attitude towards self and others; Sense of control and competence; Recognition and acceptance of individual and cultural diversity; Recognition of basic human rights of self and others; The ability to be open to new ideas, experiences, and people; Understanding of the importance of volunteering in Social and community activities; Ethical Behaviour & Social Responsibility Toolkit Page 6 Ability to engage in experimentation with various adult roles; and Development of leadership, communication, and Social skills.