20,000 use the student union daily for dining, meeting, bowling, pool and other table games, arts and crafts, music listening, TV viewing, and more. Open spaces, small ponds, picnic areas, shady nooks, and even an 81-acre wildlife sanc- tuary lake on campus provide opportunities to enjoy Florida's year-round outdoor life. Athletics The University of Florida has one of the top intercollegiate athletic programs in the country, ranking 5th in the USA Today combined men's and women's sport programs for 1991-92. An estimated 90 percent of all students take part in some form of organized or informal recreation. There are 72 courts and outdoor play- ing fields available on campus, as well as the O'Connell Center for indoor activities. In all, UF offers more than 60 intramural or club sports, ranging from archery to weightlifting. UF's cam- pus is also located near many recreational lakes and rivers, including university-owned Lake Wauburg, and the Gulf and Atlantic beaches, which are just a short drive away. Standard of Ethical Conduct PREAMBLE Honesty, integrity, and caring are essential qualities of an educational institution, and the concern for values and ethics is important to the whole educational experience. Individual stu- dents, faculty, and staff members, as well as the university's formal organizations must assume responsibility for these qualities. The concern for values and ethics should be expressed in classes, seminars, laboratories, and, in fact, in all aspects of university life. By definition, the university community includes members of the faculty, staff, and administration as well as students. Education at the University of Florida is not an ethically neutral experience. The university stands for, and seeks to inculcate, high stan- dards. Moreover, the concern for values goes well beyond the observance of rules. A university is a place where self-expression, voicing disagreement, and challenging outmod- ed customs and beliefs are prized and honored. However, all such expressions and challenges need to be civil, manifesting respect and concern for others. As a major sector in the community, students are expected to follow the university's rules and regulations that, by design, seek to promote an atmosphere of learning. The other sectors, facul- ty, staff, and administration, are expected to pro- vide encouragement and leadership as well as example. While the university seeks to educate and encourage, it also has a responsibility to restrict any behavior that adversely affects others or is contrary to the pursuit of knowledge. The pur- pose of this Standard of Ethical Conduct is to summarize what is expected of the members of the university community. Existing university documents address these concerns in greater detail. ACADEMIC HONESTY The University of Florida requires all mem- bers of its community to be honest in all their endeavors. Students are required to commit themselves to academic honesty by signing a prescribed basic statement, including the Stu- dent Honor Code, as part of the registration pro- cess. A fundamental principle is that the whole process of learning and pursuit of knowledge are diminished by cheating, plagiarism, and other acts of academic dishonesty. In addition, every dishonest act in the academic environment affects other students adversely, from the skew- ing of the grading curve to giving unfair advan- tage for honors or for professional or graduate school admission. Therefore, the university will take severe action against dishonest students. Similarly, measures will be taken against faculty, staff, and administration members who practice dishonest or demeaning behavior. Student Responsibility. A commitment is made in writing at the time of admission to be honest in all academic work, and abide by the Student Honor Code. In addition, stu- dents should report any condition that facili- tates dishonesty to the class instructor, the department chair, the dean of the college, or the Student Honor Court. Faculty Responsibility. Faculty members have a duty to promote honest behavior and to avoid practices and environments that fos- ter cheating in their classes. Teachers should encourage students to bring negative condi- tions or incidents of dishonesty to their atten- tion. In their own work, teachers should practice the same high standards they expect from their students. Administration Responsibility. As highly visible members of our academic communi- ty, administrators should be ever vigilant to promote academic honesty and conduct their lives in an ethically exemplary manner. ALCOHOL AND DRUGS The use of alcohol and other drugs can have a negative impact on judgments and reaction, health and safety, and may lead to legal compli- cations as well. The University's Role. The university's principal role is to engage in education which leads toward high standards and respectful conduct. When those are compro- mised, it will take disciplinary action against GENERAL INFORMATION organizations violating rules regarding alco- hol and against individuals violating either the law or reasonable conduct in the use of alcohol. It must also provide help for stu- dents who are alcohol-dependent. The uni- versity will deal severely with students convicted of the illegal possession, use, or sale of drugs. What the University Community Can Do to Prevent Alcohol Abuse and Drug Use. Students can help control substance abuse by declining to use or condone the use of drugs and by insisting that organizations and indi- viduals use alcohol within the law and with- in the bounds of reasonable conduct. Students should make an effort to prevent persons who have abused alcohol or used drugs from harming themselves or others, especially in driving a motor vehicle, and should encourage those needing professional help to seek it. The same standards and reg- ulations apply with equal force to members of the faculty, staff, and administration. RELATIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND GROUPS One of the major benefits of higher education and membership in the university community is greater knowledge of and respect for other groups, religious, racial, and cultural. Indeed, genuine appreciation for individual differences and cultural diversity is essential to the environ- ment of learning. Another major aspect of university life involves sexual relationships. Sexual attitudes or actions which are intimidating, harassing, coercive, or abusive, or that invade the right to privacy of the individual, are not acceptable. Organizations or individuals that adversely upset the delicate balance of communal living will be subject to disciplinary action by the uni- versity. Only in an atmosphere of equality and respect can all members of the university com- munity grow. SERVICE TO OTHERS An important outcome of a University of Florida education should be a commitment to serving other people. This sense of service should be encouraged throughout the institution by faculty, administration, staff, and students. Through experience in helping individuals and the community, students can put into practice the values they learn in the classroom. Education at the University of Florida is not an ethically neutral experience. The entire uni- versity community should dedicate itself to real- izing the vision that a center of learning is a beacon that, by directing itself to the highest val- ues, guides and encourages society to do the same.