Ethical Dilemmas Facing Department Research Administrators

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Ethical Dilemmas Facing Department Research
Administrators
Jim Maus Administrative Director The Genome
Center at Washington University jmaus_at_wustl.edu

• Kristin T. Nagle
• Grants Manager
• Wisconsin National Primate Research Center
  University of Wisconsin, Madison
• ktnagle_at_primate.wisc.edu

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Plan for Presentation

• Define Ethical Dilemma
• Our Scenarios
• Your Scenarios
• More Of Ours If Needed

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Define Ethical Dilemma

• Dictionary/Philosophers Definition
• Definition of what it IS for this Session
• Definition of what it is NOT for this Session

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Dictionary/Philosophers Definition

• Marriam-Webster Defines Ethics As
• The discipline dealing with what is good and bad
  and with moral duty and obligation

• A set of moral principles
• A theory or system of moral values
• A guiding philosophy
• A consciousness of moral importance
• A set of Moral issues or aspects (as rightness)

• Wikipedia Defines An Ethical Dilemma As
• A situation that will often involve an apparent
  conflict between moral imperatives, in which to
  obey one would result in transgressing another.

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Dictionary/Philosphers DefinitionThe Dilemma
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Dictionary/Philosphers DefinitionMorals vs.
Ethics

• Morals are rules and standards that we are told
  we must "conform" to when deciding what is
  "right" behavior. Morals are dictated to us by
  either society or religion. They do not come
  from YOU but rather society or religion.
• Ethics are "principles of conduct" that you
  choose to govern your life as a guiding
  philosophy for your life. The key difference is
  that they come from YOU not society or religion.

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Definition of what it IS for this Session
You are being asked to do something you believe
to be wrong but you know you could do if you
choose to.

• The PI wants to buy a piece of equipment. The
  agency doesnt allow equipment purchases. You
  know you can code it as supplies and get it
  through.

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Definition of what it IS for this Session
Or
You are being asked to do something you
personally think is alright but know there are
laws, rules, or regulations that prohibit it.

• My university does not allow a salary increase
  for a lateral transfer but the PI wants his new
  hire to have a raise. I think its a stupid rule
  so I find a new title/grade to get around the
  rules.

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Definition of what it is NOT for this Session
You are being asked to do something that is
against the rules or instructions but it would
not result in adverse consequences for you.

• My PI has exceeded the page limits and wants to
  send the application anyway.
• The application is due on the 1st but my PI wants
  to wait till the 15th to submit.

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Questions to Ponder Is what is right or wrong
just matter of degrees?

• What if you dont agree with the rule?
• Does it matter whose rules they are? Dept?
  University? Funding Agency? Against the law?
  Your morals? Someone elses morals?
• What if its vague? Do you seek clarification?
• Do you weigh the risk of getting caught or the
  severity of the consequences?
• Does size of the dollar amount change anything?
• Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

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Scenario

• You run a core facility. A faculty member has a
  grant that is about to expire and asks you to
  bill for services that have not been performed so
  he doesnt loose the grant money.

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Scenario

• A faculty member comes to you with a check for
  75,000 and instructs you to put it in his
  account. You ask for documentation. He says
  there is none to just put it in his account. When
  you press him he tells you he sold stuff he made
  in his lab.

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Your Scenarios

• ????????????????????????????????????????????????
  

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Scenario

• A donor wants to give your dept 50,000. You
  know if it comes in as a gift the dean will take
  50 as overhead. You also know if the donor
  specifies that no overhead should be taken from
  the gift the dean will honor this request. Do
  you tell the donor to specify?

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Scenario
A new faculty member asks you to buy furniture
for his new house from department funds. Hell
pay you back but he wants to take advantage of
the Universitys discount.
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Ethical Dilemmas Facing Department Research
Administrators
Jim Maus Administrative Director The Genome
Center at Washington University jmaus_at_wustl.edu

• Kristin T. Nagle
• Grants Manager
• Wisconsin National Primate Research Center
  University of Wisconsin, Madison
• ktnagle_at_primate.wisc.edu