We believe that as individuals we are capable of living in the fullest measure when our lives are freely based on values that acknowledge a loving God and a life-affirming moral code. Therefore, we teach, learn, and work in a climate of mutual respect, honesty, and integrity where excellence and academic freedom are cherished.
To gain a better understanding of how our university both practices and promotes the foundational core value of integrity as described above, Scene invited five members of the campus community to discuss the topic.
Panelists were:
Sandra Cassady, PT, PhD
Dean of the College of Health and Human Services
Micah Kiel
Associate Professor and Chair of the Theology Department
Paul Koch, PhD
Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs
Professor of Psychology
Tim Phillips, PhD
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
Ray Shovlain '79, '82 MBA
Athletic Director and Head Men's Basketball Coach
Instructor in the College of Business
Integrity is a large concept, encompassing many aspects of the St. Ambrose mission. What does it mean to each of you and how do you promote this core value in the work you do?
Micah Kiel: "This is indeed a big question to answer! A couple of things come to my mind when I think about integrity. I think of consistency, by which I mean that an individual lives their life in such a way that there is an internal and external coherency to their actions.
"Such an individual will have core convictions that drive them towards their goals. Someone with integrity will also mean what they say, and demonstrate that their words and actions have similar consistency. Such a person will follow through on their words. "
Paul Koch: "I agree with what you say, Micah. As I think of how we define integrity in our Core Values and Guiding Principles - a portion of which states, Therefore, we teach, learn, and work in a climate of mutual respect, honesty, and integrity where excellence and academic freedom are cherished - I have been reflecting on the words 'mutual respect' as being essential to demonstrating integrity.
"In particular, I believe in the importance of carefully and actively listening to what others are saying, which is key to developing mutual respect. On occasion, I think we all get wrapped up in our individual passions and desires to move forward and we hear what we want to hear without actually understanding what the other person has said. (That is even more dangerous if the other person is not listening as well). The danger in this is that we may end up acting in a way that we think is aligned with what we have said, but is quite contrary to the expectations that the other person has. This also argues for clear and public expectations that we can share with one another."
Ray Shovlain: "In responding to this question I came across a number of different but similar definitions of Integrity. The definition that probably came the closest to my thoughts was The definition of integrity is the following of moral and ethical principles and doing the same as what you say.
"The second half is the focus for me. Although the word integrity is classified as a noun, I believe it should be identified as a verb. Integrity is an action word. It is great to express your thoughts of moral and ethical principles and obligation, but without action it presents an empty and hollow message. Within the Athletic Department, we continue to challenge all student-athletes, coaches and staff to reach out to others in need through the community service projects and experiences we participate in throughout the year. These incorporate integrity into action."
Tim Phillips: "I think integrity is established through sharing honestly what a person expects of themselves and others. Demonstrating the character to honestly share what I believe, and holding myself to it, allows others to determine the degree of my integrity. At the end of the day, those around me will determine the degree of my integrity if I am being honest and transparent.
"I also believe the deepest level of integrity comes when an individual is faced with acting at a moment when no one else will likely ever know the outcome. In my mind, acting consistently with who you say you are in an ethical, respectful and life-enhancing way at a time when only you know what you are doing is integrity in its purest form. I am grateful that we have many who do just that in our midst at St. Ambrose."
Sandra Cassady: "I believe integrity begins with understanding who we are as an institution of higher education, how we relate to one another and the broader community and how we prepare students for their future. Whether students are seeking traditional liberal arts majors or a degree in a professional program, we expect them to act with integrity and conduct themselves in a manner that recognizes the importance of honesty, moral actions and respect for one another.
"We need to hold each other accountable, too, and serve as role models for students. Ray's comment about integrity as an action word really resonates with me. 'Deeds, not words' applies here."
How is the integrity core value incorporated into out curriculum and into the way we teach at St. Ambrose? How does the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT) inform and influence our approach?
Micah Kiel: "Integrity in the classroom comes about through discussion, and finding the ability to respect the beliefs of others while formulating and holding your own. A person of integrity is responsible for her or his own actions. The CIT provides a framework for belief, but also calls us to scrutinize our beliefs, to seek what new things God is doing in the world, always in conversation with what has transpired in the past.
"The word integrity comes from a Latin word that means whole or intact- it is related to the word integer. I strive in my classes for students to find a core, something that will remain intact, even while its periphery is constantly rethought and reshaped in a rapidly changing world. This is a microcosm of a navigation between unity and diversity, which the CIT embodies quite well. "
Paul Koch: "In some sense, I think of integrity in the classroom as being true to one's discipline. Do I faithfully represent the body of knowledge or do I let my own personal biases so influence me that I interpret and disseminate information in a manner that does not reflect the body of knowledge as most people in the discipline view it? For example, when I teach about the relationship between mind and body in a neuroscience course, we discuss the monist, dualist, and other viewpoints on the problem. I always share my particular view of the issue based on my understanding of the literature - that the mind arises out of a functioning nervous system - but encourage students to explore and develop their own views on this issue. To have the freedom to share my viewpoint as a person supports my own integrity and is liberating.
"In this same discussion, I will also share that I am a person of faith and that I believe in the spirit/soul and suggest that I see this as not something that is reducible to the mind. The beauty of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition is that it allows me to explore the relationship between faith and reason in the classroom. I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Terrence W. Tilley, a distinguished professor of Catholic Theology at Fordham University, speak earlier this year at the annual meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. While the overall presentation was quite good, it was when he got to the point of the presentation where he talked about an "analogical imagination" in contrast to a "dialectic" imagination when I gained additional clarity on the role of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.
"As he suggested, an analogical imagination has three components:
'both ... and 'rather than 'either... or;'
A sacramental universe;
The incarnation and the body of Christ
"While the latter two are just as important, I was particularly stuck by the first component, of 'both ... and' rather than 'either ... or' as central to the analogical imagination. I don't have to separate faith and reason in the classroom, or faith and science in the classroom. They can and do inform each other. I can be a person of faith and a scientist and share that with my students as appropriate; to be who I am in front of my students enhances the perception and reality of integrity."
Micah Kiel: "Yes. 'Both . . . and' is incredibly important, and something that scholars are generally not good at! We often make our living through the opposite."
Ray Shovlain: "My understanding of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition is of openness and tolerance of others and their ideas and perspectives. This, I think, truly exists in the classrooms and across this campus. I can never remember a time as an SAU student myself that the ideas I expressed were not received, heard and respected by my professors. That is not to say the majority of my responses necessarily were accurate, but that is a different discussion.
"The social justice component recognizes that there are many people and groups of people who have not been provided the same opportunities and advantages with which the majority of us have been blessed. Again, the Athletic Department attempts to challenge our student-athletes, coaches and staff to realize in some sense that reality during their involvement in the outreach activities and personal growth seminars that we host during the year."
Tim Phillips: "I think the 'and' in Paul's comment is so powerful in that it demonstrates a binding commitment. While I do not spend much time in the formal classroom, I think integrity shapes how I honor, interact with and listen to each individual with whom I am present in my work. "I feel our integrity is demonstrated by the time we take to listen, to teach and to struggle with difficult situations. Where we demonstrate our core value is when we approach with a sense of mutuality, portraying that we are learning together, thus creating space where we all can be authentic, human and connected through the learning process.
"As dean of students, I have found those opportunities no less profound than when sitting across from a student who has violated a policy and knows it. How I receive that individual, demonstrate mutual respect and walk alongside them during the learning process demonstrates the integrity of our commitment to honoring the dignity and worth of all individuals. No small task most days and a humbling experience when I am able to achieve such a dynamic. I am fortunate to have many mentors, not the least of which are my colleagues responding here.
"As for the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, embracing the intersect of faith and reason provides for me the foundation of joy I gain from the learning process. Education is often messy and emotional, especially in my area of work as the dean of students. Often binaries - right and wrong, just and unjust, truth and lie - become part of the discussion. In reality, what the CIT suggests is that we are on a deeper search for truth and in most cases will have to embrace the fact that we may never know an objective truth. However, what we can do is to struggle together in that search for truth and in the process become better human beings who have mutual respect and regard for each other. Not always does that happen but the challenge of achieving such an outcome drives my commitment to the educational process and to working with the St. Ambrose University community."
Micah Kiel: "Tolerance is certainly a good thing, but it can also pose certain problems. We can become paralyzed by tolerance, to the extent that we are afraid to believe or say anything for fear that someone else might disagree. The CIT, and our own integrity, are predicated also on the search for truth, which requires not just tolerance but discernment. Tolerance is certainly a good thing, but we also want to believe something and proclaim it even if others disagree. Tolerance must not be a cipher for passivity or laziness."
Promoting integrity and ethical behavior should be a core mission of any institution of higher learning. Can you identify ways and examples of how we might do this better than many other institutions?
Micah Kiel: "I would tie our understanding of ethics directly to our understanding and promotion of social justice. Social justice is not only about learning and advocating, it is ultimately an ethical question, one that forces very specific, difficult questions upon those who understand its dimensions. A true understanding of social justice ought to impact a myriad of decisions we make every day: what car to drive, where to live, which job to take, what food to eat, which portfolio to invest in. SAU is better than many institutions in getting students to see this social component of the gospel and giving them opportunities to practice those very tenets."
Tim Phillips: "As Micah suggests, many regarded Jesus as a radical. Many of our academic disciplines offer evidence that our social environment is unjust. Therefore, to be true to our claim to be Catholic demands that we seek to live our faith authentically."
Ray Shovlain: "I liked the perspective Micah offers that the true understanding of social justice is involved in virtually every decision we make daily. Tim's response that Jesus was regarded by many as a radical also is spot on. If I had the opportunity to have met Jesus and his disciples during his time on earth, I wonder how I would have responded. I would hope that I would have been receptive but truly I do not know.
"I do know that I have meet several individuals in the oddest places and times who I know were extensions of Jesus during my journey. Some of those individuals I did not even know their names but all challenged my thinking of social justice during my time as an SAU student and teacher/coach. I truly believe social justice learning, like virtually all learning, is accomplished through actions and hands-on experiences.
"One classic example of how St. Ambrose truly stands out in challenging our students is the services trips Father Chuck and the Campus Ministry staff have organized across the country in places students probably would not have otherwise ventured. These are life-changing experiences. SAU does a great job in this regard."
Paul Koch: "One would like to think that integrity and ethical behavior would be core mission values of any higher education institution, but I sense a certain degree of fear in other institutions I have visited, especially those that are not faith based, to even suggest that one can bring a conversation about values into the classroom or into meetings.
"Some have suggested that education should be value free, but the reality is that I bring my values into the classroom or into a meeting each and every time. As a Catholic institution, it my hope that what bring to each other and our students is value laden rather than value free.
"Having visited and engaged with many other institutions over the years, I am impressed with the commitment of our faculty, staff, and students to delve into the questions that arise from our values of integrity and acting in ethical ways. I think a useful example is our disciplinary process with students who have violated our policies. One approach would simply be to slap a student with a fine or sanction and note it in the appropriate record. Our student affairs professionals, however, take developmental approach that is attuned to use the disciplinary process as a critical learning environment. Students may have a fine or other sanction imposed, but it is done in a manner where there is an attempt to help the student understand the why of the discipline and also an attempt to move toward restorative justice. Such an approach aligns our actions with our core values in a unique way not seen at all institutions."
Tim Phillips: "On Paul's point, the distinction for us from other institutions is that integrity and ethical behavior are at the core of what we do. We state that up front, and that allows each and every conversation to revolve around those foundational values. We also distinguish ourselves through our mission of 'enriching the lives of others.' If you look at examples of when integrity and ethical behavior have been found wanting, there has always been innocent, hard-working people who are impacted. That fact our mission speaks about our influence and care for others demands integrity and ethical behavior. And I think many in our community model that."
How has the advance of technology and the ready availability of information increased the challenge of promoting and ensuring ethical behavior in the pursuit of learning?
Paul Koch: "The simple answer to this question is it has become a problem. One of the issues I deal with is students who have been sanctioned by our Board of Studies for violations of our academic integrity policy and are seeking to appeal the sanction. While students have engaged in plagiarism for time immemorial, the nature of what I see has become more aggravated over time. It is no longer just pulling a sentence or two out of a reference and failing to cite the source. I see situations where entire paragraphs are lifted from electronic sources and presented as their own, but occasionally entire papers.
"Unfortunately, when they see me it is not because of a one-time occurrence, and because of our values, it would be very challenging for me to overturn the judgment of the faculty and staff who sit on the Board of Studies. Acting in a manner consistent with our policies enhances institutional integrity, even when the decisions one makes are difficult.
"Additionally, the rapid communication that can occur and escalate quickly on social mediums that offer anonymity has caused us challenges. We could simply prevent access to such media through our servers, but, as a learning organization, we have taken the route of using such events as a learning environment, where we remind people of our mission and core values and that certain behaviors are intolerable. The behaviors in question have typically moderated or ended using this technique."
Tim Phillips: "Paul's point is an important one. To the question, because it is easier to run astray, or to deceive, we have the opportunity to point out to students the importance of critical thought and using good ethical technique when doing academic work. In this way, technology has exposed all of us to many more examples of people who lack integrity and act unethically. In that way, teaching has become easier."
Sandra Cassady: "To ensure integrity and ethical behavior, we need to continue to provide education for all - traditional undergraduates, adult students and graduate students - about how to be responsible users of information. From my experiences visiting other colleges and universities and interactions with graduate students who come to us from other institutions, I find that the work our library faculty does and lessons provided through our information literacy class are tremendous resources for undergraduate students. And surprisingly, this is somewhat unique."
Ray Shovlain: "This a significant challenge from a couple of different perspectives. Technology is like any asset. Assets over-utilized become liabilities. There has to be an effective balance. The most effective people I know strive for a balance between work, play and family. Technology itself is a double-edged sword. Technology provides many great opportunities to access information and assist in solving issues. It also is a detriment in many ways, especially to young people and I see a real negative impact on students. Everything is thought out for them via the Internet. There is too much information available. It is an overload.
"Students experience difficulty in responding without a detailed example. The limited opportunities to think on they own have been greatly reduced. Success in life will focus on one's ability to make quick positive adjustments to the challenges that everyone will encounter. I know a number of SAU professors challenge students to think more critically. This will be necessary to solve any major difficulty in life. It is not all from the same cookie cutter. "
Micah Kiel: "With technology, I worry about community. When I started teaching at SAU, few students had smart phones. Before class they would interact, talk, discuss. Now, every single student is buried in a phone up until the start of class. Part of ethical behavior is communal - it is easier to make good choices if others around you are doing the same. I worry that technology prevents personal interaction and that can lead to isolation, a cutting of the ethical tether between an individual and a community."
Tim Phillips: "Technology offers us more opportunities to demonstrate our integrity, which makes our core value all the more relevant. As hackers and those who post anonymously have shown us recently, we have the ability through technology to do some vile things unnoticed and unidentified. However, to claim yourself an Ambrosian calls you to claim integrity and ethical behavior as a cornerstone of who you are. That should give anyone pause when thinking about doing otherwise."
Sandra Cassady: "I concur with Tim. What may differentiate us is the manner in which we handle lapses in integrity. On several occasions, I have witnessed how our student affairs professionals and faculty approach the disciplinary process in a developmental manner. Our collective actions - how we work through these difficult situations - likely have a profound effect on students and the others they go on to serve."
Do you believe the world our students live in is more ethical, less ethical, or equally ethical to the one students knew as recently as 20 years ago? Have world events, including behavior by entertainers and particularly athletes, affected how students value integrity?
Micah Kiel: I actually do not think the world is any more or less ethical than it used to be. Close reading of the Iliad, the Bible, Dante or Flannery O'Connor can tell us that humanity has long been facing ethical challenges, and while the specific guise of those challenges may have changed slightly, the basic components of ethics have not.
"This does not mean we ought to ignore the particular iteration of our current ethical problems, but a place like St. Ambrose University ought to contextualize them historically, philosophically and theologically so we can bring the wisdom of the past - learning both from successes and mistakes - in order to be that which God calls us to be in the present and future."
Paul Koch: "I tend to agree with Micah that the world is not any more or less ethical than it used to be, but perhaps a bit more complex. The rapid availability and exchange of information as the result of the Internet and social media challenges the world's ability to sift through the massive amount of information that it out there and to be able to make good decisions. People expect on-the-spot decision-making, when many times it would make more sense to reflect before taking action."
Ray Shovlain: "I tend to agree with Micah and Paul that the world is not any more or less ethical. Compliments to the Internet and social media as it provides more exposure of negative or unethical situations and issues. Unethical behavior of years ago truly went underexposed.
"I do feel that students have been affected both in a positive and negative way given world events, as well as exposed behavior from athletes and entertainers. One fear I have is that given all the exposure to negative and unethical behavior, there is a tendency to desensitize not just young people but everyone. This can lead to an attitude that any and all behavior is acceptable. There are still a significant number of great people in the world but the negative/unethical does receive the majority of the coverage."
Sandra Cassady: "This is a great question. The media has certainly played an important role here in exposing serious ethical dilemmas and actions where integrity is questioned. Certainly, we live in a different era and the information shared with the greater public has grown. But for every story that makes the news, there are many that do not. I'm hopeful that the growing awareness of issues provides both teaching and learning opportunities for our students, and the world will become a more ethical place."
Paul Koch: "While the media can expose us to ethical dilemmas and how to respond appropriately to them, I am hopeful that the media will begin to sort through facts in a more meaningful way before rushing to judgment as they seem to have done in recent cases. It is OK for people to admit that they don't have all of the facts to make a judgment on any particular issue."
Tim Phillips: "I do feel students live in an increasingly more ethical world. Events such as Enron, the housing crisis, and our political leaders being exposed has put such issues front and center. Research is showing that student values center less on material goods than on work and creating lives that are meaningful and fulfilling, a sentiment I believe is undergirded by integrity and ethical practice. I believe the exposure of such figures has reinforced the character that many of our students possess, affirming that doing as they have been taught is not only desirable but enriches the lives of those around them."
What does success in advancing this mission core value look like specific to St. Ambrose University?
Tim Phillips: "I think the outcome of our effective advancement of integrity is demonstrated by the job placement rates, relative career success and the general impressions the community has about St. Ambrose.
"Time and again, we hear from employers that St. Ambrose graduates provide the foundation to their work force and come well-prepared to hit the ground running. That makes the university a dependable entity, one that our city and places beyond can turn to with specific educational and service needs."
Paul Koch: "Agree Tim. I think success is also demonstrated by the very action of paying attention to our core values and guiding principles in ways such as this discussion. We make the attempt to practice what we preach."
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