The Institutional Standards on Professional Ethics (ISPE) is “not yet a final” document, a faculty association president said, amid earlier pronouncements that had presented it as a settled policy.
In a statement released on Feb. 24, USTFU thanked Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P., for “opening the space for a formal dialogue” on the document.
“The ISPE is not yet final. USTFU requested a formal dialogue, and thanks to Fr. Rector’s openness, the University formed an Ad Hoc Committee to begin that process,” said Assoc. Prof. Rene Tadle, president of the Arts and Letters Faculty Association (ALFA), following the Feb. 24 statement.
“This clearly shows that the document remains open to clarification, refinement, and improvement,” he said.
The ISPE Dialogue Committee, composed of representatives from both the administration and USTFU, held its first meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26.
The administration panel was represented by Tourism Dean Gezzez Granado, with Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Cheryl Peralta as member and Commerce Dean Al Faithrich Navarrete as secretary.
USTFU was represented by an ad hoc committee led by Asst. Prof. Emerito Gonzales, with lawyer DJ Jimenez and Assoc. Prof. Rene Tadle.
Other members include Assistant to the Rector for Planning and Quality Management Clarita Carillo, and Education Dean Pilar Romero for the administration, and Asst. Prof. Elvis Llarena and Senior Teacher Emerson Hernandez for the union.
Peralta said the administration and the union agreed to release a joint statement related to the finality of the document following their first dialogue.
Also in its Feb. 24 statement, the union said faculty contributions on the ISPE, including reservations, proposals, and insights, were formally submitted to the University panel.
“These contributions are grounded in experience, scholarship, and commitment to the Thomasian mission,” USTFU said.
“They will guide the discussions and help ensure that the code reflects shared responsibility,” they added.
USTFU stressed that the ISPE should not be seen as a finished document.
“We hope for a synodal, participatory process where policies affecting academic life are crafted through genuine dialogue, mutual trust, and co-ownership,” the union said.
The ISPE outlines professional expectations in teaching, research, and service.
It also sets strict rules on outside work, requiring faculty to prioritize University duties and obtain approval for external engagements.
Permanent external employment may require faculty to relinquish regular status.
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Faculty leaders previously raised concerns that some provisions might conflict with the collective bargaining agreement.
ALFA had also flagged the ISPE’s “blanket ban” on outside employment and its redefinition of full-time work, saying it “appear[s] to exceed the limits outlined in the 2021–2026 CBA.”
READ: Artlets faculty flag conflicts between ethics standards, union’s collective bargaining deal
USTFU has maintained that presenting the ISPE as a final code before formal dialogue undermined faculty participation.
The union stressed that the process was meant to ensure that policies reflected both University standards and faculty welfare.
USTFU said the ISPE, when finalized through consultation, should reflect Catholic social teachings, uphold constitutional protections, and strengthen the Thomasian community in “truth, justice, and charity.”
