ASPA's Code of Ethics--Time to Change?                            August 2002

ASPA's Code contains five major elements and 32 specific sub-elements. Could you recite any of the major or minor elements? Consider the first major element--Serve the Public Interest. Now, name one of the eight sub-elements? Couldn't do it? Hmmm! How about #2 sub-element: "Oppose all forms of discrimination and harassment, and promote affirmative action." Do you agree with "Serve the Public Interest?" Most likely. Do you agree with sub-element #2? Possibly not. Is there something wrong here? Is the Code too detailed or specific? Or, does it need to be further specified, perhaps with a set of implementation guidelines? Or is it a matter of interpreting what it means to serve the public interest by promoting affirmative action?

The time has come for the membership to give this some thought. Should the Code be further specified or streamlined? A Code Review Committee has been established to hear your thoughts about how well the Code is serving the Society and what might and should be done to strengthen it. Monty VanWart (monty.vanwart@ttu.edu) is chair of the committee and the members are Walter Broadnax (wbroad@american.edu), Willa Bruce (bruce.willa@uis.edu), Terry Cooper (tlcooper@usc.edu), Stuart Gilman  (stuart@ethics.org), Rosslyn Kleeman (rkleeman@gwu.edu), Anita Maltbia (anita_maltbia@kcmo.org) , Vera Vogelsang-Coombs (vera@wolf.csuohio.edu), Douglas Watson (dwatson@auburnalabama.org), and Mylon Winn (mxwinn@ualr.edu). Please direct your comments or concerns to any member of the committee.