Preamble
Educational development is a relational and interpersonal profession practiced in a wide variety of contexts by developers who come from a range of disciplines, fields, and training. Educational developers’ responsibilities and roles also vary according to their experience, interests, talents, position, and the special characteristics of their institution. As professionals, developers have a unique opportunity and a responsibility to contribute to the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning in higher education.
In general terms, a statement of ethical guidelines represents a consensus among a field’s practitioners regarding the ideals that should inform their professional practice. POD’s Ethical Guidelines for Educational Developers are organized in a framework of commitments to and with others, commitments to our own practice, and attentiveness to potential ethical conflicts that may arise. These guidelines undergo regular review to ensure they align with the values and work of practitioners in the field, broadly speaking.
These guidelines are not intended as prescriptive nor as an exhaustive list, but instead articulate the ethical principles that frame our profession as well as the ideals educational developers aspire to. The ways individual developers enact or apply these ideals may look different in practice depending on the nature of an individual’s position or duties and the legal or policy requirements in place. It is our hope that these role-specific guidelines complement existing campus and disciplinary codes of conduct and ethical guidelines, and that educational developers can use the guidelines effectively to promote ethical practice and inform typical programmatic statements of philosophy and mission.
For more information on how these Ethical Guidelines were developed and refined, see Appendix.
I. Commitments to and with others
Being respectful
We maintain that all people have fundamental worth and dignity, and we strive to center respect and kindness in our work and interactions. This includes recognizing the value of others’ identities, experiences, and views and working against harassment and discrimination.
Maintaining a developmental mindset
We take a developmental, non-evaluative approach to our educational development work with constituents, in ways that center individual agency, encourage voluntary participation, and offer formative feedback.
Maintaining confidentiality
We maintain confidentiality and respect the privacy of our constituents, while recognizing and disclosing limits associated with legal regulations, institutional expectations, and reporting guidelines. We acknowledge when we are unable to share information freely because of confidentiality requirements and exercise appropriate discretion when disclosing information to others. Educational developers might also prepare and report aggregated, anonymous data for program improvement and advocacy.
Being transparent
We endorse transparent, honest, and clear communication in our work. This includes clearly communicating expectations, goals, and boundaries, aiming to surface any unstated assumptions or norms of which others may not be aware. Developers who serve in multiple roles clearly communicate when or if their role expectations require providing summative feedback or reporting to third parties on individual performance.
Using evidence-informed practice
We seek out and leverage up-to-date scholarship and information to best support the students, educators, and institutions we work with. We use our expertise to advocate for practices and policies that promote effective teaching, inclusive learning environments, and student success.
II. Commitments to our own practice
Examining our biases
We recognize that we inevitably have biases, some of which will impact our work and affect the way our work may impact others. We seek to understand, reflect on, and confront these assumptions, values, and beliefs in ways that align our work with our commitment to learning and growth.
Examining our work
We reflect critically on our own practices and activities, incorporating feedback from others and evidence from multiple sources to identify areas for improvement and growth. We work to ensure our practices and products are accessible.
Developing our knowledge base
We seek guidance or additional knowledge as part of our own personal and professional development, and we also strive to contribute to knowledge within the field of educational development. Recognizing that knowledge is formed from diverse forms of evidence, inquiry, and scholarly perspectives, we draw from and reference the wisdom of others from a range of disciplines, methods, experiences, cultures, and fields.
III. Attentiveness to potential ethical conflicts
Establishing and maintaining boundaries
We establish and maintain boundaries around our work by recognizing and communicating both the focus and the limits of our own mission, expertise, role, and resources. By clarifying expectations and responsibilities, we aim to contribute to the well-being of educational developers and our constituents.
Navigating competing interests
We identify and clarify when we find ourselves navigating competing interests and role conflicts and strive for fairness throughout. We are transparent about potential biases or limitations when complete impartiality is not feasible. We adhere to our university’s standards of conduct regarding personal, financial, or professional conflicts of interest.
Navigating power differentials
We understand that power takes many forms and generates complex power differentials in all work, including in higher education. To facilitate respectful and just work environments, we seek to identify power differentials within our scope of practice and actively work to mitigate their negative impacts or leverage them responsibly for equitable outcomes.
Appendix
History of the guidelines
This document is an attempt to define ethical behaviors for the current practice of educational development in higher education. The POD Ethical Guidelines were first developed in January 1999 by Mintz, Smith, and Warren. Originally published annually in volumes of To Improve the Academy, the Guidelines were revised multiple times between 1999 and 2011, when they were moved to the POD Network website. The revision to the Guidelines was overseen by an ad hoc committee formed by the POD Core Committee in June 2023. The final guidelines were approved by the Core Committee in May 2026 and published in July 2026 at the start of the fiscal year.
These guidelines were developed and refined through a consensus-building process over a two-year period, including the following stages:
- Review of current guidelines,
- Review of other organizations’ guidelines,
- Iterative feedback from the POD membership of multiple drafts through three conference session discussions, a survey of the membership, and invited feedback from the Executive Committee, the Core Committee, and a sampling of standing committees and SIGs.
Timeline for next anticipated review
The guidelines will be updated on a periodic basis by the Core Committee of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education.