On 15 October the Academic Senate appointed the members of the Committee for the implementation of the University Ethic Code. It is the first time that such a body is created at the University of Trento.
The Committee’s creation is established by the University Ethic Code (issued with Rector’s Decree on 29 May 2014). It is a consultative body and its members are Gregorio Arena, full professor for the Faculty of Law and Andrea Mongera, Head of the Information and communication technology management. Donata Gottardi, full professor at the Department of Legal Sciences of the University of Verona, is an external member. Arena was appointed as President by the Rector, chosen among the three members, as established by the Code itself.
According to article no. 17 of the Ethic Code, the new Committee -- upon request of the Academic Senate - will submit to the Senate itself “Guidance remarks and guidelines: recommendations on behaviours and praxis to adopt; opinions on the compliance to the Code of documents, provisions and procedures of the University, whose content or field of application imply ethic evaluations. The Commission may also submit proposals for amendments or enhancements; opinions on situations of clashes of interest - potential or actual - of university components, also on a preventive basis and/or upon request of the involved parties”.
Professor Arena remarked that “This is the first Committee of this kind, in the history of our University. Should the Ethic Code be violated, the Committee will deal with the procedure and submit to the Academic Senate its proposal. The Academic Senate will adopt the final decision”. However, I hope such cases will be few and far between”.
Arena underlined the importance that the Committee’s members include representatives of professors and of the technical and administrative staff, because “they are, together with students, the key components of our university community. All members need to be equally involved in the respect of the founding values of the Ethic Code”.