Code of Conduct (CoC) for Teaching at the Faculty of Business Administration

Table of contents

Preamble

The Code of Conduct (CoC) formulates the basis for appreciative and respectful communication and cooperation in teaching at the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Innsbruck. The CoC was adopted by the Faculty Council on 10 December 2025. As a guideline, it is aimed at all members of the faculty, especially students as well as internal and external lecturers.

1. Basic principles

1.1 Respect

All members of the faculty are considerate of each other and respect the personal integrity of others. Behavior that is inappropriate, degrading, or offensive for the persons concerned will not be tolerated. This includes any discrimination, in particular discrimination based on religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, skin colour, language, ethnicity, social origin, age or health situation or disability.

1.2 Integrity

All members of the faculty perform their duties honestly and responsibly. Unethical or even illegal practices, such as fraud, plagiarism, corruption, or sexual harassment will not be tolerated. They entail consequences laid down in civil service law, labor law and higher education law.

1.3 Diversity and inclusion

The faculty values and promotes diversity and recognizes the importance of different perspectives, life situations and needs. It creates an inclusive learning and working environment.

1.4. Open communication and criticism

The faculty promotes open communication between all parties involved. It considers criticism and the ability to criticize to be central elements of the university's teaching and learning culture. Constructive criticism and argumentative discussion are seen as an opportunity for improvement.

1.5 Data protection and privacy

The protection of privacy and personal data is a high priority. All members of the faculty must comply with applicable data protection regulations and respect confidentiality.

2. Communication and cooperation in teaching

Teaching and learning is a collaborative process to which both lecturers and students contribute. In this process, the basic principles formulated under 1 are adhered to.

2.1 Lecturers

Lecturers treat students with respect.

  • They communicate objectively, professionally and respectfully with students.
  • They will provide constructive feedback on the students' performance.
  • They will deal with student feedback in a reflective manner and support the evaluation of courses.
  • They offer prompt consultation appointments on common communication channels.

Lecturers maintain integrity in the interaction and cooperation with students and in the implementation of teaching.

  • They communicate teaching and learning objectives, expectations, structure and teaching materials in a timely and transparent manner.
  • They will base the performance assessment on teaching and learning objectives.
  • They give students appropriate space for questions, discussion and participation in the courses.
  • They maintain an appropriate personal distance from the students and consider any form of dependency at all times.

Lecturers promote diversity and inclusion in teaching.

  • They respect the diversity of students and avoid discriminatory behavior and the use of discriminatory language.
  • They work to ensure that students respect the diversity of students and lecturers and intervene in the event of discriminatory behaviour. If necessary, they bring discriminatory behaviour to the attention of the competent authorities (see below).

2.2 Students

Students treat all members of the university with respect.

  • They will always communicate objectively, professionally and respectfully with lecturers and other students.
  • They provide constructive feedback on the performance of lecturers and the performance of other students.
  • They deal with feedback from lecturers and other students in a reflective manner.

Students maintain integrity in their interaction and cooperation with lecturers and other students.

  • They prepare appropriately for the courses and work constructively.
  • They respect the principles of good scientific practice, in particular with regard to the use and documentation of permitted and unauthorised aids.
  • In group work, they participate in a constructive way, avoid free-riding and take responsibility for the process and result of the group work.
  • They avoid behaviour that disrupts the course of lessons or exams (e.g. unpunctuality), or interferes with the learning experience of others (e.g. through noise, consumption of food, verbal and non-verbal harassment).

Students respect diversity and inclusion in the context of the courses.

  • They respect the diversity of students and lecturers and avoid discriminatory behaviour and the use of discriminatory language.
  • Within the scope of their possibilities, they work to ensure that students and lecturers respect diversity and bring discriminatory behaviour to the attention of responsible persons and/or bodies.

2.3 Artificial Intelligence Support

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an integral part of university teaching and research. In their assistance function (e.g. research, idea generation, simplification of evaluations and analyses), AI tools can meaningfully complement these processes, but they must not replace independent thinking. The use and reference to aids does not release from duties of care and does not change the fact that the person himself is responsible for the content created or collected.

Detailed information on the labelling of AI-generated texts and the responsible use of AI tools can be found in the current version of the handout on dealing with A.I. https://www.uibk.ac.at/en/faculty-of-business-and-management/studies/dealing-with-ai/

2.4 Conflict Handling

Conflicts should be dealt with primarily in the context in which they arise (if necessary, with the involvement of the next higher supervisor/study officer). In addition to respectful communication that takes the concerns and emotions of the other person seriously, transparent rules and processes of conflict management can help to understand the dynamics of conflicts and steer them into constructive channels. Mediation services and support from special institutions (e.g. working group for equal treatment issues) can be used if necessary.

3. Design of the learning environment and sustainability

The faculty promotes sustainable practices and environmentally conscious action.  All members of the faculty contribute to conserving resources and supporting sustainable development. For example, they avoid wasting paper and energy.

All participants observe the house and user rules of the University of Innsbruck.  These rules exclude the misuse of the premises (e.g. sales events) or discriminatory design of access (e.g. lack of accessibility).

4. Implementation and monitoring

4.1 Responsibility

The faculty has adopted the CoC as a binding guideline for maintaining an appreciative learning and working culture. All members of the faculty university community are encouraged to reflect on these principles in their respective contexts and to take them into account in their behavior. However, independent and reflective action and decision-making in concrete situations cannot be replaced by general guidelines.

4.2 Feedback and Reporting Violations

The faculty encourages all members of the university community to raise violations of the CoC in an appropriate place. In addition to direct communication (e.g. in courses), there are various channels that make this possible: Feedback can be given via the formal course analysis; the respective study officers are central points of contact; Violations can also be reported to various committees and representative bodies (e.g. faculty representation of students at the ÖH, working group for equal treatment issues); there is a whistleblowing system at the faculty or university that makes it possible to articulate concerns or report misconduct. The faculty considers these institutionalized channels to be a necessary complement, but not a substitute for an open culture of communication and dialogue.

4.3 Training and awareness raising

The faculty offers training and information sessions at appropriate intervals to raise awareness of this CoC and the ethical principles associated with it. The faculty welcomes the fact that, in addition to university didactic offerings, university continuing education also includes events critical of discrimination and racism, which are intended to sensitize lecturers in particular to these topics and enable them to act responsibly and inclusively.

Conclusion

By adhering to these guidelines, we work together to create a respectful and appreciative university learning culture in which the dignity and rights of all are respected.

In order to fill the CoC with life, it is continuously evaluated. It will be put up for discussion at appropriate intervals at the Faculty's Strategy and/or Teaching Day and, if necessary, modified and adapted to new circumstances.

Responsibilities

The CoC serves as a framework for orientation. In the event of conflicts, the principle of subsidiarity applies in principle. If possible, conflicts should be dealt with in the context of their origin. If this is not possible from the point of view of the parties involved, it is possible to turn to a higher authority.

Other contact options mentioned in the document:

  • Those directly concerned (Students, Lecturers)
  • Study Program Coordinator
  • Faculty (Dean of Studies)
  • Rectorate (Vize Rector of Studies)

Additional contacts:

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