THE UNIVERSITY has clarified that it sought comments from administrators and the faculty union on the new Institutional Standards of Professional Ethics (ISPE), prior to its “final adoption.”
In a statement released on Oct. 28, UST said it recognized the importance of “continued dialogue” with academic staff, stressing that the 31-page ISPE codifies long-standing principles on teaching, research, professional conduct, and outside employment.
“The ISPE is a reaffirmation of existing norms of ethical and professional behavior expected of all members of the academic community. The draft ISPE was thus circulated for comment among academic administrators and the UST Faculty Union prior to its final adoption,” the University said in the statement posted on Facebook.
READ: UST tightens rules on outside work, faculty conduct
The UST Faculty Union (USTFU) confirmed that comments on the ISPE were indeed sought by the Office of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs.
However, USTFU President Emerito Gonzales said the union did not have the opportunity to discuss the draft ISPE with its members before its release in August.
“The original draft was sent to me in September 2023. I asked the administration when I could discuss it with the union members and officers; no reply came from them,” Gonzales told the Varsitarian.
“I got the impression it was not that urgent then. I was busy with the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) negotiations. Then they came up with this 2025 version without showing it first to me,” he added.
He said the 2025 version of the ISPE introduced several new provisions not present in the 2023 draft, prompting the union to request a dialogue on the items it deemed “inconsistent” with the 2021–2026 CBA.
READ: Artlets faculty flag conflicts between ethics standards, union’s collective bargaining deal
Faculty were oriented on the ISPE in August, with officials emphasizing that outside work must not interfere with teaching duties and institutional loyalty.
Article 9, titled “Ethics on Outside Employment and External Engagements,” specifies that full-time faculty must commit to sole employment in the University while avoiding conflicts of interest.
In a letter to the USTFU dated Oct. 15, the Arts and Letters Faculty Association (ALFA) cited two provisions 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, ALFA said.
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.
