THE ARTS and Letters Faculty Association (ALFA) has flagged conflicts between the new University professional ethics standards and the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), urging the faculty union to invoke grievance mechanisms.
In a letter to the UST Faculty Union (USTFU) dated Oct. 15, ALFA cited two provisions in the new Institutional Standards of Professional Ethics (ISPE) that allegedly exceeded CBA provisions — restrictions on outside employment and the requirement to render exclusive full-time work in UST.
ALFA said the ISPE contained a “blanket ban” on any outside employment during leaves, whether part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid, when the CBA forbids only work at another academic institution or its affiliates.
The ISPE also imposes “de facto exclusivity” on full-time faculty, when the CBA only defines full-time work as 15 or more units of teaching load per term.
“The ISPE’s broad ban on outside employment conflicts with the CBA’s narrower rule,” ALFA’s letter read, arguing that the University’s professional ethics code “should not exceed bargained terms.”
Article 9 of the 14-article ISPE, titled “Ethics on Outside Employment and External Engagements,” lays down stricter rules on full-time faculty, requiring them to prioritize University duties and avoid potential conflicts of interest.
ALFA also sought clarification on four ISPE provisions pertaining to academic freedom, digital conduct, confidentiality, official representation, and the need to protect the good name and reputation of UST.
For instance, the administration needs to clarify what constitutes a “scandal” or a “grave departure” from norms, policies, or objectives, and who is considered an “official representative” of UST.
Also, what are “unlawful activities or expressions of dissent,” ALFA said.
ALFA emphasized the “supremacy clause” of the CBA, a five-year contract that outlines the terms and conditions of employment. The latest CBA, covering the period 2021 to 2026, was ratified by USTFU members earlier this year.
It noted UST’s position that the “ISPE is not intended to alter employment terms or diminish faculty rights but to reaffirm academic values.”
ALFA said that while it supports the ISPE’s goal of ethical consistency, “clear safeguards are needed to ensure due process and protection for good-faith academic critique.”
The faculty group said it was ready to collaborate with USTFU and the University to refine the ISPE, “drawing from ethics codes of Catholic universities abroad” to ensure “consistency” in policy implementation.
Faculty were oriented on the ISPE in August, with officials emphasizing that outside work must not interfere with teaching duties and institutional loyalty.
READ: UST tightens rules on outside work, faculty conduct
According to the 31-page document, faculty members are required to declare their outside work and obtain approval for external engagements.
It stated that “a full-time or regular academic staff commits to sole employment in the University from the time of her/his initial appointment.”
