Preamble

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation (hereafter referred to as the USCCB Commission) serves the broader interests of church and society by the high level of competence that it demands from those who receive its official approval through its processes of accrediting programs of ministry formation and approving certification standards and procedures for arch/dioceses and organizations.

The USCCB Commission board of directors must remain constantly on the alert for the potential of unethical behavior by directors and their appointed site reviewers, and act promptly and appropriately to resolve problems that threaten to diminish public respect for the USCCB Commission, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (hereafter referred to as the USCCB), and the Catholic Church.

Directors of the USCCB Commission must be Roman Catholics who have embraced an ethical way of life in their personal and professional affairs. This code of ethics and ethical practices applies both to directors and to site reviewers appointed by the board.

Ethical Principles

Six ethical principles are fundamental to the work of the USCCB Commission:

1. Subsidiarity. The USCCB Commission participates in the bishops' responsibility for the formation of individuals for ministry in the Catholic Church.

 
2. Accountability. The USCCB Commission is accountable to the USCCB for ensuring that the formation and education programs preparing people for ministry in the Catholic Church are programs of high quality.

 
3. Justice. The USCCB Commission's policies and manner of administration shall reflect a Christian spirit of concern for the dignity of every person, especially of those who are most vulnerable. The USCCB Commission shall ensure that the accreditation standards for clinical pastoral education and ministry formation programs and the certification standards and procedures for arch/dioceses and organizations conform to the principles of Christian morality and equity, thereby showing the USCCB Commission's special concern for the human, spiritual, theological, and pastoral formation of program participants for ministry and the competency of candidates for certification as ecclesial ministers.

 
4. Impartiality. The USCCB Commission shall be impartial in the interpretation of its criteria for reviewing certification standards and procedures.

 
5. Consistency. The USCCB Commission shall have its own established processes for accrediting programs, approving certification standards and procedures, and handling appeals, complaints, and grievances.

 
6. Collaboration. The USCCB Commission shall be open to dialogue with organizations and programs that seek its advice and approval for certification or accreditation.

Ethical Conduct

Directors and site reviewers shall conduct themselves according to the highest professional standards:

1. Confidentiality. Directors and site reviewers shall not discuss or convey information learned during board meetings and site reviews outside of those meetings and site reviews. Directors and site reviewers shall not use the Internet or fax machines where the public has access to this technology to send confidential information and reports.

 
2. Objectivity. Directors and site reviewers shall consistently act for the good of the Catholic Church. A balance of conscientious representation and concern for all shall govern their determinations of policy and objective review. Directors and site reviewers shall reject every possibility of personal or organizational advantage that might be theirs by reason of privileged information or the power of decision making that follows from their appointment.

 
3. Impartiality. Directors and site reviewers shall not receive favors or gifts that could influence their actions.

 
4. Professional integrity. Directors and site reviewers shall be honest and professional in their behavior and continue their own professional development.

 
5. Avoiding conflicts of interest. Directors and site reviewers shall avoid conflicts of interest, but if conflicts should arise, they shall resolve them. Directors shall withdraw from the decision-making process when the board reviews their own programs, or when they are participating in discussions might bring unfair advantage to an organization, institution, or program with which they are associated.

 
6. Just representation. Directors and site reviewers shall not speak in the name of the USCCB Commission unless they are authorized to do so by the board as a body.

 
7. Contributed services. Directors and site reviewers shall not receive compensation for their services to the USCCB Commission.

Ethical Practices

Directors shall ensure ethical practices regarding the accreditation of programs by:

1. Appointing highly competent site reviewers and consultants and providing them with training regarding the accreditation and certification standards, policies, and procedures of the USCCB Commission;

 
2. Reviewing programs only with the approval of the proper delegate of the sponsoring institution or arch/bishop of the arch/diocese;

 
3. Allowing the directors of programs being evaluated to review the names of proposed reviewers for conflicts of interest;

 
4. Evaluating programs with their own stated goals and purposes as long as these are consistent with the general purpose and standards established by the USCCB Commission;

 
5. Assisting programs being evaluated to use the results of their self-studies as evaluation tools and planning guides to improve the programs;

 
6. Respecting the option of programs to withdraw from the accreditation process at any time before final action by the USCCB Commission;

 
7. Treating the contents of site review reports as confidential, but with the understanding that this information may be available to other accrediting agencies, authorized governmental agencies, or law enforcement agencies; and

 
8. Giving notice to the appropriate ecclesiastical authority and to the program director when the board is considering revoking a program's accreditation.

Site reviewers shall ensure ethical practices regarding the accreditation of programs by:

1. Preparing thoroughly for a site review. Thorough preparation includes a careful reading and evaluation of the self-study report. Site reviewers shall forward concerns, questions, and evaluations to the chair of the site review committee by the assigned date. If documentation for the self-study report is missing, the chair of the site review committee shall relay this information promptly to the program director.

 
2. Keeping in mind during a site review that they are appointed evaluators of the USCCB Commission. Site reviewers shall represent but not speak in the name of the USCCB or for the USCCB Commission. Site reviewers shall be faithful in matters of doctrine and hold the Catholic Church, its magisterium, and its leaders in respect by their words and actions. In conversing during the site review, site reviewers shall distinguish clearly between their evaluations, the statements they make as individuals, and the statements that represent the views of the site review committee as a whole.

 
1. Site reviewers shall be honest in their conversations, oral evaluations, and written reports. Site reviewers shall evaluate a program in the light of its mission statement, its goals and objectives, and the standards of the USCCB Commission, and not according to their personal judgments or expectations.

 
2. Site reviewers shall demonstrate the utmost courtesy to those hosting the site review, as well as to program personnel, people interviewed, and members of the site review committee. Site reviewers shall acknowledge the unique characteristics of the program and the arch/diocese, as well as the education, experience, and personal gifts of other site reviewers. Site reviewers shall listen carefully to information conveyed and seek information or clarification in a nonthreatening manner.

 
3. Site reviewers shall work collaboratively. They shall participate in the entire site review and be punctual for all sessions and interviews. Site reviewers shall share openly with other site reviewers information that they know would be pertinent to the review. Site reviewers shall express an openness to the contributions of other site reviewers through verbal and nonverbal feedback.

 
4. Site reviews shall write site review reports that describe compliance of the program with standards, affirm the strengths of the program, give recommendations for improving the program, and acknowledge through notations when programs are not in compliance with standards.

 
5. Site reviewers shall maintain in word and action appropriate professional conduct with all those encountered during the site review.

 
6. Site reviewers shall not accept favors or gifts that could be construed as influencing their review from those associated with the program.

 
3. Writing a site review report that represents the consensus of the entire site review committee. The site review report shall be written following USCCB Commission guidelines and returned to the USCCB Commission office by the assigned date.

 
1. Site reviewers shall hold in the strictest confidence the information they learn during a site review about the program, its administration, faculty, students, and operations, and the practices of the arch/diocese or institution. Site reviewers shall not use the Internet or fax machines where the public has access to this technology to send confidential material in accreditation or certification site review reports or to convey information that is confidential to the arch/diocese or sponsoring institution.

 
2. Site reviewers shall return as quickly as possible accurate travel expense report forms to the USCCB Commission office, and they shall cash their reimbursement checks promptly.