Avoiding Conflicts of Interest in the Grading Process One of the most difficult decisions for college professors is whether to engage in a personal relationship with a student. The relationship might start innocently. Perhaps the student goes to office hours frequently. The professor might devote more time than is customary... Read more →

The Role of the First Amendment Free speech on college campuses has been under attack during the past several years. The alleged offenses seem to have declined this past academic year. Does that mean limitations on free speech on college campuses is no longer of concern? The answer is ‘yes’... Read more →

The Ethics of Teaching a Course on Digital Literacy Increasingly, educational institutions are offering courses in “Fake News.” The reason, no doubt, is concern in society that journalists and news media are playing fast and loose with the ethics rules of good, honest journalism. Making up stories, exaggerating facts, failing... Read more →

Evaluating Conflicts of Interest Am I guilty of having a conflict of interest in using my own Accounting Ethics textbook for that course? I’ve thought about this a lot in the past and agonized over the answer. Before I share my beliefs, let’s get certain things clear. The choice of... Read more →

Academic Freedom Under Attack I have previously blogged about “The Selling of American Universities” that points out the increasing trend of private donors like Nike, Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola influencing sports programs through their donations. A more pernicious situation has raised its ugly head, whereby uber-wealthy individuals donate funds... Read more →