Ethical Codes or Programs: 1) Research Proposal

Another main factor that has also been mentioned above is the factor of Personal Development that is held highly important at Saint Leo University. The administration and education board at the university feels that it is essential for every educational institution to have the kind of educational setup that will promote the progress of every individual's mental, physical and spiritual being in an appropriate and composed way (ALA/ACRL, 2008).

Responsible Stewardship is another important factor in the educational setup of the university as the administration feels that an individual's capability and service spectrum can not be fully utilized without his or her ability to truly use the resources available to him or her. The administration feels that they, as an institution, can use all the resources available to them and their students towards not only developing their university but also their community as well as the neighboring communities (ALA/ACRL, 2008).

Integrity is perhaps one of the most important factors in the educational program of Saint Leo University. Integrity is the necessary backdrop for all of the factors that have already been explained above because without integrity the overall pursuit of the goals and application of any of the beliefs would be pointless. There is a need to be unbiased, fait, loyal, constant and respectful towards the work that one does, whether he/she is a student or a teacher, in order to truly realize the depth of the outlined objectives (Kirk, 2006).

Comparison of Saint Leo University Educational Code and APA Ethics Code:

In the above sections, we have highlighted, through the use of various sources, the different aspects of both the Saint Leo University Educational Code and the APA Ethics Code renewed in 2002. There are quite a few similarities between both the codes and some dissimilarities as well.

The very obvious dissimilarity between the two codes is the specifications i.e. The APA code is directed towards the department of psychology and lays down the general principles and ethics that are required in the patient-psychologist dynamic. On the contrary, the Saint Leo Educational Code is not directed towards one particular subject but is designed as an overall guideline of conduct for any and every department within the university.

Keeping this in mind, another dissimilarity that can be established between the two codes is that one has a very specialized and situational approach towards the application of principles and ethics i.e. The APA codes are designed in context of the phenomenon of psychology and hence are more tailored or custom-made for situations that might arise when dealing with cases that require therapeutic help. Conversely, the Saint Leo University Educational Code encourages diversification amongst the students and the community and hence has a very open-ended and somewhat limited approach towards the situational designs that are needed to tackle specific situations. This does pose a hurdle for the overall performance and application of the general educational program but is not the biggest disadvantage and can be fixed through the introduction of other more detailed and specified factors whereby the coping strategies for certain situations can be pre-designed.The similarities between the two codes lie in the factors that make up the construction of the both the codes. Both codes give human relations a very high regard; while the APA codes highlight the importance of communication and successful interpersonal skills needed to be a dominant part of a community and to give back to a community; the University Code highlights the importance of community input and how taking the community together towards the path of development is absolutely necessary for every institution so that the students can feel a strong sense of belonging and unity with their community.

Furthermore, integrity and morals are given equal importance in both the codes as well. While the APA code has a specified approach and highlights how the psychologist and patient need to respect each other's cultural and personal differences and still be an able to maintain an ethical, unbiased and loyal association; the university code takes a more general approach and highlights how the diversity of every individual needs to be treated with an unbiased analyses and how individuals need to be accepting and respectful for the production and promotion of innovative ideas.

Yet another similarity between the two codes aforementioned is the personal growth that needs to be encouraged. The APA code takes a slightly different approach and uses the 'fidelity and responsibility' factor to highlight how the psychologist needs to be very open towards the ethics he must use when giving therapy in order to give the patient as well as himself room to grow and improve, whereas the University Code takes a more literal approach and explains the importance of the recognition of one's own abilities, physical mental and emotional, under different circumstances so that each circumstance can be tackled on merit and with a balanced, wise approach.

Conclusion:

Throughout this paper we have highlighted and summarized the factors that construct the two ethics codes: 1) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2002) and 2) General Education Program at Saint Leo University. Furthermore, we have outlined some of the similarities and dissimilarities that exit between the two codes through taking a comparative approach and have concluded that the specified APA code format is more prepared to tackle specified situations whereas the University Code have a more moderate and diversified approach that helps keep a more consistent level of growth for the students.

References

ALA/ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. 2008. Accessed at http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm

Andberg, M., M. Caught in the Middle: Ethical/Legal Mandates and Test Security. Symposium: Recent Developments in Psychological Testing - Update for Assessment Professionals. American Psychological Association Convention; Honolulu, Hawaii. Marcia Andberg Associates LLC, 2004.

American Psychological Association (APA). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. American Psychological Association, Inc. December 2002; 57, 12

Dr. Kirk, a.F. The State of Saint Leo University. President of Saint Leo University Community Day. 2006. Accessed from https://www.saintleo.edu/resources/docs/intranet/commday_aug2006_kirkspch.pdf

Saint Leo University Catalog. Accessed….....