OUR VALUES
The Department of Chemistry is committed to excellence in research, teaching, mentorship, and service. Achieving that mission requires intellectual rigor, ethical conduct, professional responsibility, and a shared commitment to the success of the department. All faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, undergraduates, and visiting scholars commit to upholding the following values:
Academic Excellence and Freedom of Inquiry
We pursue research, teaching, mentorship, and professional service of the highest quality. We value intellectual ambition, creativity, rigor, curiosity, collaboration, and the continual advancement of knowledge. Scientific progress depends on questioning assumptions, testing competing explanations, and evaluating ideas through evidence, experiment, reasoning and rigorous debate. We support academic freedom, independent inquiry, intellectual risk-taking and good-faith examination of established ideas.
Integrity and Responsible Research
We act with honesty, transparency, accountability, and sound judgment in our research, teaching, professional responsibilities, and interactions with others. We uphold rigorous standards for research conduct, data stewardship, reproducibility, authorship, attribution, and the responsible use of departmental and University resources.
Respect and Professionalism
We treat one another with dignity and conduct ourselves professionally in the laboratory, classroom, workplace, and broader scientific community. Harassment, retaliation, coercion, improper favoritism, and abuse of authority are inconsistent with these values.
Health and Safety
We share responsibility for maintaining a safe and healthy environment for research, learning, and work. We follow established practices, identify and address hazards, and look out for the welfare of our colleagues.
Mentorship, Supervision, and Development
We recognize mentorship and supervision as central responsibilities of an academic community. We support the intellectual and professional development of students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty through clear expectations, constructive guidance, appropriate recognition, and meaningful opportunities for growth. Those who supervise, mentor, evaluate, or employ others bear particular responsibility for exercising their authority fairly and responsibly.
Fairness, Access, and Opportunity
We seek to ensure that members of the department are treated fairly, evaluated on the quality of their work and contributions, and given appropriate opportunities to develop their abilities and participate in the academic life of the department. We support reasonable accommodations and practical access needed for individuals to fulfill their roles and contribute effectively.
Accountability and Good-Faith Reporting
We encourage members of the department to raise scientific, ethical, safety, academic, or workplace concerns in good faith. Such concerns should be heard carefully, addressed through appropriate University processes, and raised without fear of retaliation. The department is committed to applying its standards consistently and holding members accountable for conduct inconsistent with these values.
Collegiality and Shared Purpose
We value the contributions of every member of the department and work together to advance our common mission. We approach disagreements constructively, fulfill our responsibilities to one another, and contribute to a strong and productive academic community.