Holistic Ethical Policy

1.2.2 Student Responsibilities

1. Remaining a member of Alfaisal community requires students to comply continuously with rules and regulations governing student's academic progress, social interactions, and personal behavior.
2. Students must avoid and not get involved in any form of academic misconduct such as: cheating, plagiarism and other misappropriation of the work of another, falsification of data, improperly obtaining or representing laboratory or field data, dishonesty in publication, publication or attempted publication of collaborative work without the permission of the other participants, abuse of confidentiality, misuse of computer facilities, misuse of human subjects, illegally or carelessly obtaining or using dangerous substances or providing such substances to others, falsification or unauthorized modification of an academic record, obstruction of the academic activities of another, aiding or abetting academic misconduct, attempted academic misconduct.
3. Students must be on a level of courtesy, civility and consideration that prevents them from any form of personal misconduct. They are expected to adhere to ethical standards in a variety of workplaces (e.g., classrooms, laboratories) within the explicit standards set by the University. Being physically or verbally threatening, disruptive, abusive, or hostile can make the workplace so unsafe or unpleasant that others cannot do their work.
4. Student must always present his/her Alfaisal Id at exams time.
5. Students must not misuse or damage any of the University facilities and they should behave properly in the public areas inside campus.
6. Students will be exempt from disciplinary action or dismissal from the University except for academic failure, failure to pay a university debt or a violation of a student or University rule or regulation. Rules and regulations shall be fully and clearly promulgated in advance of the supposed violation. The University has no legal authority over a student when outside University property, except where the student is on the property of a university-affiliated institution, where the student is engaged in a project, seminar, or class for academic credit or as otherwise provided in the University rules, regulations, and procedure or on property that falls within the jurisdiction of university authority.
7. By the end of their final year of academic study, students should meet professional and legal practice requirements. They must value intellectual engagement, research-based practices, and life-long learning.
8. Regular and punctual attendance is required of all students for all classes, labs, seminars and/or clinical experiences. A student who is constantly late and/or absent from classes, seminars and/or labs may be unable to meet the course requirements and may not be able to receive a credit for the course.
9. The use of cell phones or other electronic messaging devices during class or lab is not permitted. Text messaging or e-mailing in class is prohibited.
10. It is recognized that every member of the community has the responsibility to conduct him or herself in a manner that does not violate the rights and freedoms of others.
11. A student or group of students cannot organize events inside Alfaisal University campus without written approval from Deanship of Student Affairs, Admissions and registration (SA). In case there is an event/activity to be conducted inside University's campus, SA personal must be notified in writing at least one week ahead of event/activity date and specified form(s) must be filled out and approved before proceeding in event/activity.
12. Also, a student or group of students cannot initiate and hold an event/activity outside campus by the name of Alfaisal University without having written approval from SA.

3.9.1 Conflict of Interest

1. All employees have the responsibility to avoid both conflicts of interest, and situations which give the appearance of a conflict of interest.
2. Employees are prohibited from having a direct or indirect personal interest in the University’s contracts or projects or with the contractors doing business with the University.
3. Employees are prohibited to purchase, or influence the purchase of, goods or services from an organization in which they have a direct or indirect personal financial interest
4. Employees are prohibited to accept gifts, cash or other items of any kind, except those associated with usual business practices and courtesies and of a nominal value from persons or organizations involved with the University.
5. Employees are prohibited to utilize the University’s funds for unlawful purposes
6. No employee should hold a controlling “personal stake” in another firm, which does business or intends to do business with the University; this includes holding a position, having a controlling financial stake or any form of ownership in such a firm.
7. University employees are prohibited from engaging in any trade other than their span of work as employees of the University.
8. Any employee misusing his/her position for the acquisition or acceptance of a bribe of personal benefits will be dismissed at the first offence without notice or benefits and without prejudice to proceedings of Public Prosecution.
9. Any employee not following the policies above will be dismissed at the first offence without notice or benefits.

3.9.2 Business Ethics

1. The University shall maintain the highest ethical standards in its conduct of business. It shall be honest in its dealings with internal as well as external stakeholders. The University shall avoid all situations, which can be termed as illegal or dishonest.
2. The University’s records/audits shall be maintained at the highest level of integrity. Any instance of falsification will be dealt with strictly.
3. University information of confidential nature shall not be disclosed to third parties and any information regarding any other organization with which the University does business shall be kept confidential. This information might have come by the means of normal business dealings. Any such information shall be disclosed only after prior approval from the University delegated authorities.
4. In case of legal dealings confidentiality shall be maintained at all times.
5. All employees of the University are to abide by the rules of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the conduct of business dealings. Any violation is considered as breach of the University policy on business ethics.
6. All employees are to show concern for the society and its customs in due course of business.
7. No employee should indulge in any sort of bribery, dishonest means to gain favors for the University. Any such actions could lead to punitive action against employees.

5.1 Academic Freedom

Alfaisal University is committed to principles of academic freedom with respect to teaching and intellectual inquiry, the ethical and reasoned conduct of research, publication of findings, and expressions of ideas and beliefs. Alfaisal University recognizes, however, that it operates within the context of the culture, norms, and laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There are, therefore, some legal and social restrictions of which the members of the faculty should be aware of and which they should observe. Public (including classroom) discussion of sensitive political or religious issues, preaching, and group worship (other than Islam) are prohibited. A detailed orientation presentation and discussion of such restrictions will be provided during new faculty orientation. Furthermore, the use and/or importation of mind-altering drugs, potable alcohol, and/or pornographic material are criminal offenses with very serious penalties in the courts.

5.3 Standards of Ethical Performance in Teaching and Research

For faculty members, the notion of academic freedom is linked to the equally demanding concept of academic ethics and responsibility. As a faculty member, a person assumes certain ethical obligations and responsibilities to students, to fellow faculty members, to the institution, to the profession, and to society at large. Some of these are listed below.

5.3.1 Responsibilities to Students:

• Faculty members shall foster scholarly values in students, including academic honesty, the free pursuit of learning, and the exercise of academic freedom.
• Faculty members shall act professionally in their academic relationships with students. They shall acknowledge and respect the confidential nature of the relationship between professor and student. They shall not engage in exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of students, and they must assure that evaluations of students reflect true merit.

5.3.2 Responsibilities to other members of the University community:

• Faculty members shall not exploit, harass, or discriminate against any member of the university community.

5.3.4 Responsibilities to the Profession:

5.3.4b. Faculty members should exhibit professional integrity. They also should recognize that society at large will judge the profession and the institution, as well as the individual on the basis of his statements and behaviour. Therefore, the faculty member should strive to be accurate, to exercise appropriate restraint, and to be willing to listen to and show respect to members of the society at large expressing different opinions. Faculty should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking or acting for the University when speaking or acting as a private person.

5.3.4c. Scholarly conduct must avoid fabrications, falsifications, plagiarism and other practices that deviate from accepted standards of scholarly work. Faculty must apply scholarly rigor and integrity in obtaining, recording and analysing data as well as in reporting and publishing results. A detailed description on procedures for investigating research misconduct can be found in section 6.8 Research Misconduct as well as in the Research Policies & Procedures available of the Alfaisal web site (http://research.alfaisal.edu/policies_procedures.html).

Policy Purpose

This Unified Code of Ethics integrates existing ethical standards across teaching, research, and administration to foster a cohesive culture of integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Policy Scope

It is designed to ensure that all members of the Alfaisal University community uphold the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in alignment with the university’s values, Saudi Arabian laws, and global academic norms.

This policy applies to:

• Faculty and researchers
• Administrative and support staff
• Students (undergraduate and graduate)
• Consultants, visitors, and external collaborators
• All governance bodies and academic units

2. Core Ethical Principles

Alfaisal University affirms the following foundational values:

• Integrity: Acting honestly and upholding moral and professional standards in all activities.
• Transparency: Ensuring open communication, fairness in decision-making, and access to relevant information.
• Accountability: Taking responsibility for actions, decisions, and their consequences.
• Respect: Honoring human dignity, and local cultural and religious values.
• Social Responsibility: Aligning research, teaching, and administration with the broader interests of society and ethical good.

3. Ethical Standards in Teaching

Faculty and instructional staff shall:

• Foster academic honesty, scholarly rigor, and mutual respect in the classroom.
• Uphold academic freedom within the boundaries of Saudi law, and institutional values.
• Maintain professionalism in all student interactions and avoid discriminatory, exploitative, or harassing behavior.
• Provide fair and merit-based evaluation of students and protect student privacy.
• Adhere to all curriculum regulations including proper syllabus provision, office hours, and student rosters.
• Acknowledge student contributions to research through co-authorship or formal recognition.
• Refer students with sensitive personal issues to Student Affairs counselors.

5. Ethical Administration & Business Conduct

Administrative and operational staff shall:

• Act with fairness, honesty, and impartiality in all official duties.
• Ensure that university records, audits, and financial practices are accurate and transparent.
• Avoid any form of corruption, favoritism, or abuse of authority.
• Protect confidential information and use data responsibly.
• Implement procurement and HR practices that are inclusive, legal, and merit based.

9. Reporting Violations

All members of the university community may report misconduct confidentially.

Whistleblowers are protected from retaliation under university policy (UC approval 30 Sept 2025).