Unethical actions of professors in the communication discipline at the National Autonomous University of Mexico

This paper is part of the research project and thesis that is being developed to obtain the degree of PhD in Pedagogy, in the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), entitled Professional Ethics of the Undergraduate Students in Communication at UNAM. The unethical actions of the teachers were pointed out by students of the B.A. in Communication, who are attending the eighth semester, enrolled in the three faculties where this professional discipline is offered in UNAM (Political and Social Sciences; Professional Studies Aragón and Professional Studies Acatlán). A specific questionnaire was designed. It refers to three areas: profile, professional values and codes of ethics. The instrument was answered by groups of students in 2010. The total of the sample was of 305 (125 in Aragón, 75 in Acatlán and 105 in the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences). One part of the questionnaire directly required the students to identify three unethical actions performed by their teachers. The resulting data consist of 735 answers. The information is revealing and similar in the three Faculties, as follow: accepting bribes, selling grades, having preferences for favorite students, to give an improper grade, evaluating arbitrarily, skipping classes, not teaching, getting late or being unpunctual, lacking of preparation, not being updated or lacking of knowledge or experience, engaging with the students, harassment, abuse of power or authority and having no commitment to the group.