UCF Creed Discussion Points


Integrity, scholarship, community, creativity, and excellence are the core values that guide our conduct, performance, and decisions at UCF. Below are suggestions for faculty to introduce discussion into their classrooms by first posing their own reflections on what each of the tenets pertains to in their course. The type of question posed to the faculty and then shared with the students would be “What does (each of the tenets) look like/mean in your class?” This could be followed by the suggested “student talking points” for each tenet to promote a class discussion. These suggestions may also be included in your syllabus and referred to in class when appropriate. Many of these suggestions have been taken from actual occurrences at UCF.

Integrity

I will practice and defend academic and personal honesty.

Faculty Reflection: What is integrity? What are the ethics of the discipline? What is morality? Fairness? Sincerity? What are the standards and values of the course?

Student Talking Points: Define cheating. Discuss the submission of original work, correct citation, interpersonal respect, proper and appropriate use of the web, responsibility, group work/sharing, honesty, values, ethics, sincerity and responsibility, standards of the discipline and character.

Scholarship

I will cherish and honor learning as a fundamental purpose of my membership in the UCF community.

Faculty Reflection: What are rigor and proficiency? How do you create new knowledge? What is scholarship/research in the discipline, and how is scholarship assessed?

Student Talking Points: Discuss research projects, paper and lab reports, citation of other’s research, rigor, proficiency, synthesis of knowledge, critical thinking, grade appeals, community scholarship vs. individual scholarship, and responsibility.

Community

I will promote an open and supportive campus environment by respecting the rights and contributions of every individual.

Faculty Reflections: How do you define diversity, respect, and political sensitivity? What is the importance of time management, experiential learning, and engagement? Consider faculty/student relationships.

Student Talking Points: Discuss diversity in learning styles, sexual orientation, religion, cultural background, political sensitivity, time management, experiential learning, service learning, engagement, faculty student relations (drinking, drugs, relationships), respect, and responsibility.

Creativity

I will use my talents to enrich the human experience.

Faculty Reflections: How open are you to hearing other points of view? Consider enrichment, academic responsibility and academic freedom, standards in the discipline, individuality, and innovations.

Student Talking Points: Discuss appropriate use of other’s materials, openness to hearing other points of view, different activities and their status in “creativity” within the discipline (hacking, spending time working around the system rather than with it), enrichment activities, responsibility, non-conformity, standards, individuality, and innovation.

Excellence

I will strive toward the highest standards of performance in any endeavor I undertake.

Faculty Reflections: How do you challenge yourself? Do you strive to excel? Accept responsibility? Do your personal best? Consider standards in the class, leadership and influence, and how to provide a challenging but fair environment.

Student Talking Points: Discuss achieving one’s personal best, the ability to continually improve, how to define one’s own capacity to do something, agency, going above and beyond, grade inflation (bell shaped curve), leadership and influence on others, quality work, and responsibility.