Code of Ethics

Are you confident the decision you've just made is the correct action? Could you happily justify your behaviour to your manager or a colleague or friend? The University has published its first Code of Ethics to help you answer these questions and many more.

The University of Birmingham is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct in all our activities and each member of the University community — staff (including honorary, emeritus and visiting staff), students, members of Council and other University committees — has a responsibility to act ethically and in accordance with the Nolan Committee’s principles for public life: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty and Leadership. The University Legislation encompasses well-established ethical policies and procedures relating to our core activities of teaching, research, knowledge transfer, fundraising, investments and procurement. In light of the Woolf Report regarding events at the London School of Economics, a review of our overall approach to ethics was undertaken and the Code was produced to draw together the University’s existing ethical policies in these key areas of activity in a single overarching document. This Code is designed to provide an accessible, overarching guide to ethical conduct which will help you in making both large and small decisions, as good ethical practice is not just making the correct decision in specific cases, but making considered choices on a day to day basis.

Help yourself to think and act ethically by reading the full code here.