Academic Freedom and Professional Standards. Institutions of higher education including the library, offices, and classrooms exist for the common good and not to further the interest of either the individual adjunct employee or the institution as a whole. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic freedom is essential to the free search for truth and its free exposition and applies to both teaching and research. Academic freedom in its teaching aspect is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student in learning. It carries with it duties correlative with rights as adopted by the AAUP Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom. Adjunct employees are entitled to freedom in the classroom, library, and offices in discussing subjects related to their discipline, but they should be careful not to introduce into their discussions controversial matter that has no relation to their discipline. Adjunct employees are citizens, members of a learned profession and employees of an educational institution. When they write or speak as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes certain obligations. As scholars and educational officers, they should remember that the public may judge their profession and their institution by their statements. Hence they should strive at all times to be accurate, exercise reasonable restraint, show consideration for the opinions of others, and make effort to indicate they are not speaking for the institution. HCAFA and the College endorse the American Library Association Code of Ethics and the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Each adjunct librarian/counselor shall become familiar with and follow his/her professional Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice as they apply to Xxxxxx College and comply with local, state and federal laws.
