1 Principles
This
Code has been formulated to provide aclear statement of the Department’s
expectations of its staff and affiliates inrespect of their professional and
personal conduct.
The
Code reflects, and is intended both toadvance the object of the Department,
namely the promotion of scholarship,research, free inquiry, the interaction of
research and teaching, and academicexcellence, as well as to secure the
observance of its values of:
l responsibility and service
through leadership in the community;
l quality and sustainability in
meeting the needs of the students ofthe Department;
l merit, equity and diversity in
our student body;
l integrity, professionalism and
collegiality in our staff; and
l lifelong relationship and
friendship with our alumni.
These
values must inform the conduct ofstaff and affiliates in upholding and
advancing:
l freedom to pursue critical and
open inquiry in a responsible manner;
l recognition of the importance
of ideas and ideals;
l tolerance, honesty, respect,
and ethical behavior; and
l understanding the needs of
those we serve.
2 Application of the Code
This
Code applies to:
l All staff and any other
persons appointed or engaged by theDepartment to perform duties or functions on
its behalf(referred to in thisdocument as “affiliates”).
All
staff are required to comply with theobligations set out in this Code and act in
a way that furthers the Department’sobject and upholds its values. Affiliates
are required to comply with the Codein respect of their activities relating to
or impacting upon the departmentand\or its staff or students. The Department may
take disciplinary actionagainst staff for a breach of the Code, and may take
commensurate actionagainst affiliates.
3 Definitions andinterpretation
In
this document:
Affiliate means any other person appointed or engaged
by the Department toperform duties or functions on its behalf. The application
of this Code ofConduct to affiliates is set out in Part 2 above.
Policy means a department policy as introduced,
altered or replaced by theDepartment from time to time.
Staffor
staff member means as employee
of theDepartment, including a casual employee.
Supervisor means:
(a) in the case of
a staff member,the person nominated by the Department from time to time as the
staff member’ssupervisor;
(b) in the case of
the Dean of theDepartment;
(c) in the case of
a consultant orcontractor to the Department, the Department officer nominated as
the relevantcontact officer in relation to their engagement;
(d) in any other
case, theDepartment officer nominated as the relevant contact officer in
relation to theperson’s engagement.
4 Personal and Professional Behavior
In
performing their Department duties andfunctions, the behavior and conduct of
staff and affiliates must be informed bythe Department’s object and its values
and the principles enunciated in Part 1above. All staff and affiliates must:
l maintain and develop knowledge
and understanding of their area ofexpertise or professional field;
l exercise their best
professional and ethical judgment and carry out theirduties and functions with
integrity and objectivity;
l act diligently and
conscientiously;
l act fairly and reasonably, and
treat students, staff, affiliates,visitors to the Department and members of the
public with respect, impartiality,courtesy and sensitivity;
l avoid conflicts of
interest;
l maintain a co-operative and
collaborative approach to workingrelationships; and
l comply with all applicable
legislation, industrial instruments,professional codes of conduct or practice
and Department policies, including inrelation to:
﹒ theconduct of research;
﹒confidentiality and privacy of information;
﹒ equalopportunity;
﹒ health
andsafety policies and practices;
﹒ efficientand effective use of Department
resources including
information
communication and technology resources; and
﹒protection of the Department’sinterests in
intellectual property
arising
from its teaching and research.
5 Conflicts of Interest
All
staff and affiliates must:
comply
with the Department’s relevantpolicy and ensure that there is no actual,
potential or perceived conflictbetween their personal interests or their duties
to other parties and theirduties and responsibilities as staff or affiliates of
the Department;
l promptly make full disclosure
to the Department of all relevantfacts and circumstances giving rise to an
actual, potential or perceivedconflict of interest and cooperate with the
Department to ensure that allappropriate steps are taken to eliminate or manage
such conflicts in accordancewith the Department’s policy;
l 6 Intellectual Property
All
staff and affiliates must comply withthe relevant policies of the country.
7 Secondary Employment andOutside
Earnings
All
staff and affiliates engaged in paidwork must ensure that any non Department
work they perform (including provisionof assistance to government, the
professions and industry through, for example,consulting work, contracting,
collaborative research and participation oncommittees):
l does not conflict with their
Department work;
l does not adversely affect
their Department work performance;
l does not involve the use of
Department resources (except in the caseof academic staff, as permitted by the
Department’s policy);
l is performed outside their
normal Department working hours, unless,in the case of academic staff, the work
has been approved under the Department’spolicy.
In
addition, academic staff must complywith the Department’s relevant policy.
8 Acceptance of Gifts andBenefits
Staff
and affiliates must not solicit noraccept gifts or benefits, either for
themselves or for another person, whicheither might in any way, either directly
or indirectly, compromise or influencethem in their official department capacity
or might appear to do so.
Consistently
with and subject to thatgeneral principle, staff and affiliates may accept
occasional gifts orbenefits, subject to the following requirements:
l Gifts may be accepted only if
the recipient is satisfied that theycannot be compromised, or be seen as having
been compromised, by doing so;
l A staff member or affiliate
who is in a position in the course oftheir department work to confer a benefit
on a third party must not accept agift from that party;
l Where the value of the gift or
benefit exceeds 100 yuan, it may beretained only if reported for registration on
the Department’s Register ofGifts and Benefits; and
l Cash or gift vouchers must not
be accepted from any third partywhich derives a commercial benefit from a
contractual relationship with theDepartment under any circumstances.
Any
gift or benefit that cannot beconsidered as occasional and token should be
declined stating that it is theDepartment’s requirement that such gifts or
benefits should not be accepted. Ifthis is not possible because of the
environment in which the gift or benefit isoffered, the gift or benefit may be
accepted on behalf of the Department, andit should then be retained by the
relevant University or Administrative Unit.
For
the purposes of this Code, “gifts”include honorariums which may be retained
subject, if required, to beingdeclared on the Department’s Register of Gifts and
Benefit.
Staff
and affiliates must report any offersof brides to their supervisor, who should
then ensure that the matter isreported as corrupt behavior in accordance with
Part 12 of this Code.
9 Public Comment
Staff
and affiliates who make publiccomment or representations and in doing so
identify themselves as staff oraffiliates of the Department must comply with the
Department’s Public Comment
Policy.
10 Use and Security ofOfficial
Information
Staff
and affiliates must:
l maintain the integrity,
confidentiality and privacy of Departmentrecords and information to which they
have access in the course of their employment;
l take all reasonable
precautions to prevent unauthorized access to,or misuse of, Department records
and information; and
l comply with the
Department’sprivacy policy.
Staff
and affiliates must not:
l disclose, or offer to supply,
confidential or private Departmentrecords or information, except when authorized
to do so as a part of theirnormal duties or functions, or when required or
permitted to do so byDepartment policy, University policy and national laws
l access or use information,
including information on electronicsystems and hardcopy files, other than for an
authorized purpose; or
l destroy, or authorize the
destruction of, Department records otherthan in accordance with Department
policy and relevant legislation.
11 Use of DepartmentResources
Staff
and affiliates must:
l use all Department resources
in an efficient manner and forDepartment purposes only, unless express
permission has been granted fornon-Department or private usage; and
l comply with the Department’s
relevant policy.
Staff
and affiliates must not access ortransfer pornographic or other inappropriate
material through Departmentinformation and communication technology resources
(other than with thespecific approval of the Department for bona fide research
purposes).
The
Department’s mail, telephones,facsimile machines, email and internet are
provided for Department use. Excessiveand\or unauthorized personal use of these
facilities can lead to the Departmenttaking disciplinary action against a staff
member and commensurate actionagainst affiliates. Emails (including personal
emails) remain the property ofthe Department at all times and may be accessed
under court orders, Freedom ofinformation requests and in accordance with the
Department’s relevant policy.
Staff
and affiliates should be aware thatthe Department will, from time to time,
access its communication resources toensure that use of these resources is
appropriate to carrying out the functionsof the Department.
12 Notification of CorruptConduct, Maladministration or
Serious and Substantial Waste of Public Money
Instances
of corrupt conduct,maladministration or serious and substantial waste of public
money should bereported in accordance with the Department’s relevant policy
.
Disclosure
should be made to the relevantleaders and disclosures made by staff and other
persons acting in a publicofficial capacity may be protected under the national
laws.
13 Equity of Access andPrevention of Harassment and
Discrimination
Staff
and affiliates must comply with theDepartment’s relevant policy, and must not
harass or discriminate againststudents, staff, affiliates, visitors to the
Department, or members of thepublic.
14 Occupational Health &Safety
While
at work or performing duties orfunctions for the Department, staff and
affiliates must:
l comply with the national
Occupational Health and Safety policies andProcedures;
l take reasonable care for their
own health and safety and the healthand safety of others who may be affected by
their acts of omissions at work;and
l co-operate with the Department
to ensure compliance with allrelevant health and safety laws.
Staff
and affiliates must take care not toput themselves or other University community
members at risk or reduce theirability to carry out their duties through the
misuse of alcohol or drugs. Underno circumstances should staff or affiliates
attend for duty under the influenceof alcohol or drugs.