Campus Code of Conduct

Members of the Campus Community:

As members of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) community, we all share the responsibility to conduct our professional and personal practices with integrity and compassion. This responsibility is the foundation for the UCSF Campus Code of Conduct. There is perhaps no more important obligation that you and I have than to uphold the principles and standards included in this Code.

UCSF is a prominent public institution and a major employer in San Francisco. To maintain our status as a leader in the community and to earn the trust and respect we each desire, we must aspire to the highest standards of human conduct. We must never lose sight of our ultimate goal of pursuing knowledge in order to cure, alleviate, or prevent illness. 

I am counting on everyone to reach our goal with pride in each other and our work.

Sam Hawgood, MBBS
Chancellor
Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor

Mission: advancing health worldwide™

Vision: In advancing health worldwide, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) will

• Develop innovative, collaborative approaches for education, health care and research that span disciplines within and across the health sciences
• Be a world leader in scientific discovery and its translation into improved health
• Develop the world’s future leaders in health care delivery, research and education
• Deliver the highest-quality, patient-centered care
• Build upon its commitment to diversity
• Provide a supportive work environment to recruit and retain the best people and position UCSF for the future
• Serve the local, regional and global communities and eliminate health disparities

The citizens of California entrust UCSF with the responsibility for providing high quality teaching, health care and research, and for assuring that the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity are practiced in meeting these responsibilities. The professional conduct of each member of the campus community is expected to be consistent with and fully comply with these principles. All members of the campus community are expected to engage in the following:

• Integrity – conducting ourselves with integrity in our dealings with and on behalf of the University.
• Respectful behavior – treating everyone with civility, courtesy, tolerance and acceptance, and recognizing the worth, dignity and unique characteristics of each individual.
• Trustworthy conduct – including dependability, loyalty and honesty in communications and actions.
• Accountability – taking personal responsibility for one’s actions and decisions

The faculty, staff, students, postdoctoral scholars, trainees, alumni, volunteers, patients, vendors and visitors of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) represent many diverse characteristics, beliefs, and affiliations. Recognizing this rich diversity, UCSF seeks to offer all campus community members an equitable, inclusive, welcoming, secure, responsive, and affirming environment that fosters mutual respect, empathy and trust.

To nurture this environment, several principles of community have been established to guide campus life at UCSF. Adherence to these principles is essential to ensure the integrity of the University and to achieve campus goals of a diverse, open and inclusive community. All are asked to acknowledge and practice these basic principles:

• We recognize, value, and affirm that our rich diversity contributes to the excellence of the University and enhances the quality of campus life for individuals and groups. We encourage one another to apply our unique talents in creative and collaborative work, take pride in our various achievements and celebrate our differences.
• We reject all acts of discrimination, including, but not limited to those based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, and religious or political beliefs, as affirmed by the UC Diversity Statement. We commit ourselves to fostering an atmosphere of equity and inclusion.
• We are committed to providing a welcoming campus environment where each person can benefit from the highest principles of openness and integrity. As a public university, we are committed to transparency in our dealings so that we may engender trust from all of our stakeholders.
• We affirm the right of freedom of expression within the UCSF community and commit to the highest standards of civility and decency. We are committed to maintaining a community where communication is courteous, sensitive, respectful and never demeaning.
• We will form a campus infrastructure that is responsive to the needs of our community. We have empathy for others, and will establish systems which address the needs of the one and the many.
• We affirm that each member of the campus community is expected to work in accord with these principles and to make individual efforts to enhance the quality of campus life for all.

Employees are encouraged to discuss questions or concerns with their immediate supervisor. If this is not practical or issues or conflicts arise that cannot be resolved between the individual and the immediate supervisor, the individual should raise the concerns through the department administrative or academic hierarchy. This may include the next level of manager, the department head, and the office of the dean or vice chancellor where the unit reports.

Faculty with concerns or questions should discuss them with the department chair. MSOs and department chairs encountering ethical conflicts involving any campus member are expected to work through the associate dean of the school or the office of the vice chancellor to which they report. Students with questions or concerns should speak with their faculty of record or advisor, contact the student affairs office in their school, contact the Office of Student Life, or the Graduate Division for assistance. Postdoctoral scholars should address questions to their faculty principal investigator/mentor or the Graduate Division.

Under University policy, individuals are encouraged to use the University Whistleblower Policy if they have a good faith belief that an activity occurred or is continuing to occur that is not in compliance with federal or state law or University policy. Such individuals are protected from retaliation for making such a “protected disclosure.” A “protected disclosure” may be made to the campus whistleblower coordinator, clinical compliance officer, or any campus administrator, director, manager or supervisor. The campus policy may be found online.

Whistleblower Office: (800) 403-4744

Academic Personnel Manual (APM) Section 015—The Faculty Code of Conduct establishes standards of professional conduct and includes listings of faculty responsibilities, ethical principles and types of unacceptable behavior.

Faculty Misconduct occurs when there is a violation of the Faculty Code of Conduct as defined in APM 015 Part II—Professional Responsibilities, Ethical Principles, and Unacceptable Faculty Conduct. Concerns about possible faculty misconduct should be reported to the responsible academic dean or the vice/associate provost—Academic Affairs.

The campus adheres to the Department of Health and Human Services definition of Research Misconduct as follows: “fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.” Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion. Concerns about possible research misconduct should be reported to UCSF Research Integrity Officer Brian Smith. Individuals should not undertake investigations of suspected research misconduct on their own.

The UCSF Integrity of Research Policy (Campus Administrative Policy 400-24) can be viewed at http://policies.ucsf.edu/policy/400-24

The mission and vision of UCSF Health is "Caring, Healing, Teaching, and Discovering" and "to be the best provider of health care services, the best place to work and the best environment for teaching and research" respectively. The UCSF Clinical Enterprise Compliance Program provides a Code of Conduct and Principles of Compliance for all members of the UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital workforce, toward fulfilling its mission in accordance with ethical and legal obligations.