Professional ethics and social commitment of the university

Professional Ethics and Social Commitment of the University

 Guadalupe Chávez-González

In this study, the goods and services provided by various professions are clarified based on the perception of students, teachers and administrators. This clarification is essential to consolidate an ethical-professional training that pertinently meets the social demands faced in professional practice. The public university seeks to fulfill its social commitment primarily through the outflow of professionals who are qualified in their area, responsible and committed, but that objective may not materialize in a complex environment like the present, in which it appears that the public interest loses value to certain private interests. Max Weber presents professions as institutionalized activities that provide a service to society. In this sense, professions require specific skills (including vocational ones) in order to be practiced. A manifest commitment is also necessary of the professional, who upon entering the profession commits him/herself to pursuing the goals of that social activity, whatever their private motives to join may have been. University education provides a space to lay firm foundations for the development of professional ethics that address social needs accordingly. University education is expected to contribute long term to the quality of life for all, or at least to those who rely on the professional practice of any of the professions. Therefore it is important to revitalize the professions and professional training, remembering their legitimate purposes and the habits that must be developed to achieve them. This may help to strengthen the sense of ethics and profession in the university and benefit society as a whole.

 Key words: professions, professional ethics, social commitment, public university