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University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Wednesday, July 24, 1996

Controversial code of ethics

A proposed "Code of Conduct for Research Involving Humans", issued by the three national granting councils, has run into a barrage of criticism. Coming later this week: a response to the report from a special subcommittee of the UW human research ethics committee.

The draft document, prepared by a working group from of the Medical Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, was released this spring as a follow-up to documents dealing with integrity in research and research with animals. Says an early section:

The critical ethical issue in research is the potential tension between the values promoted by research -- individual usefulness, social utility, and the acquisition of new knowledge -- and respect for human subjects, especially in regard to dehumanizing and objectifying treatment. The crucial question for researchers and others considering the ethics of particular research projects is: how can the positive values of the particular research project be secured without compromising the integrity, autonomy, and dignity of the research subject being studied?

And: "It is the subject's perspective on the morality of the research in question that matters, not the researcher's."

The national umbrella group for professors, the Canadian Association of University Teachers, is outraged -- "gravely concerned" is the expression in its public statement, which is being made available by UW's faculty association on its Web pages. CAUT calls the proposals "pernicious" with "a rich range of absurdity":

The objections to these proposals are so serious that the Councils should slow down its consideration We think that free speech and academic freedom are seriously undermined by these proposed rules. Far too little time has been given for reasonable reflection on a lengthy and complicated document.

A major issue: the attempt to apply principles from medical research to other kinds of research, for example in history or political science. "A good deal of public policy research -- whether on industrial relations, the role of business or labour groups in politics, analysis of white supremacy and other hate groups, or research on the success or otherwise of the Liberal Party in applying its Red Book -- may well come to conclusions that individuals or groups consider to be harmful to their interests and certainly not beneficial to them."

Ian Macdonald, president of the UW faculty association, echoes the concerns, terming the Code of Conduct "seriously flawed". He predicts the rules "would seriously impair the ability of many faculty to carry out legitimate and important research, especially in social science areas".

A report from the subcommittee of UW's human research ethics committee should be ready any day, says Susan Sykes of the research office.

In the senior administration

Let's see. UW president Jim Downey is on vacation this week and next (although that was surely the silver-maned leader whom I spotted in Needles Hall briefly this morning). Provost Jim Kalbfleisch is in Karlsruhe, Germany, attending an international conference on co-operative education. And that leaves UW with the next fellow in line as acting president: Gary Waller, associate provost (academic and student affairs). If he should leave too, next in line to be acting president would be the most senior dean available; the list begins with David Burns of engineering and John Thompson of science.

Also in Needles Hall, there's a bit of moving going on. Bud Walker, director of business operations, has left his temporary perch in the institutional analysis office, and is now in the office (NH 3006A) formerly occupied by Roger Downer, who was vice-president (university relations). There's been no decision on whether a new VP (UR) should be appointed; word on that will come after the current review of the development and alumni affairs office.

Two associate provosts -- Catharine Scott (human resources and student services) and Dennis Huber (general services and finance) -- will be moving into Needles Hall next week, to the offices previously occupied by associate provosts who have retired, Bob Elliott and Dorothy Battae. Minor renovations will follow, and eventually Walker will be joining them in the corner suite, which is NH 3006.

The stork comes to campus

I can't remember when, if ever, there's been news of a baby born on the UW campus, but it happened last Friday. Happy parents are Arlyn and Judith Friesen Epp, the host couple at the Brubacher house museum on the north campus. Newest campus resident is their first child, a daughter, Allegra Rheann. "A midwife attended the birth in the restored Mennonite farmhouse, an authentic example of Pennsylvania German architecture of the 1850-90 period," says Betti Erb of Conrad Grebel College, which manages the house.

Also born to us, though not right on campus, is Monica, daughter of Jane Forgay, the Dana Porter Library's librarian for services to persons with disabilities. Monica was born July 6.

English department retirements

A reception (5 to 6 p.m.) is scheduled tonight at the University Club, followed by dinner, to honour six faculty members who are retiring from the department of English. Guests of honour are Ellen Shields, Bill Macnaughton, Rota Lister, Neil Hultin, Bob Gosselink and Roman Dubinski.

CAR

Editor of the Daily Bulletin:
Chris Redmond -- credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
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