What can be done to reverse the ethical decay within the professoriate that I described below, and of which Professor Churchill’s misdeeds are illustrative? Regrettably, there are few signs that academics themselves will lead the way. In my Chronicle essay–which I cited below–I suggested practical ways in which trustees (should they be able to muster wisdom and courage) could help to drive this urgently needed change of ethos:

The boards of trustees and regents of our colleges and universities act as fiduciaries for the public interest in holding the professoriate accountable for maintaining its end of the social compact…[and for] fulfilling the transcendent purpose of academe.[To this end]…trustees should also act more directly to make ethics a…day-to-day reality, throughout higher education…That requires supporting the adoption of – and providing funds for – policies that foster continuing education in the tradition and ethics of higher education, and the social compact between society and the professoriate that is at its core. Executive leadership in other professions – from medicine and law to post-Enron business – is already moving in the direction of proactive education in ethics.Such programs should be required for new faculty members at an institution, those currently teaching, and for trustees themselves…The education should consist of the study of the policies and traditions historically set forth by academic professionals themselves, including the AAUP….
More specifically, trustees should establish and finance workshops, designed by faculty leaders, that address typical ethical dilemmas in the academy. The most successful strategy for teaching research ethics…has been such a case-study approach. Participants discussing a common problem will be helped to see themselves as a peer collegium, building the skills that academic ethics, peer evaluation, and shared governance require. A book like Academic Ethics [by Neil Hamilton] would be an excellent vehicle for such meetings…
Faculty [and trustee] workshops…should be scheduled with a particular focus on the acculturation of new members early in their [respective service]…
To strengthen accountability…college presidents could be required to provide governing boards with annual reports describing the affirmative actions undertaken to provide education in tradition and ethics. Such a report would confirm the importance the board places on ethics at an institution…[It] might also explain any ethical misconduct that may have occurred and what should be done to reduce the likelihood of that kind of behavior.Typical faculty contracts are extremely vague on compliance with standards of ethics. The board could, therefore, ask the faculty to draft a statement of academic ethics that cuts across the disciplines…to mitigate against disciplinary “silos”…[F]aculty members [would be asked] to sign a document indicating their willingness to comply with the statement.
Education in the tradition and ethics of higher education can do much to reduce the moral confusion within the academy, with its attendant institutional strife and erosion of social trust…It can provide a hundredfold return to society: an academic culture of highest aspiration.