The “True Bruin” program, launched last summer during orientation, is a new kind of “honor code” for UCLA, similar to those often found at private universities and liberal arts colleges detailing ethical virtues held by campus members.
True Bruin was developed in a partnership between the Office of the Dean of Students and UCLA Orientation over the past two years, with the help of orientation counselors.
“It’s something that the entire campus has wanted to embrace and be involved with,” said Roxanne Neal, director of UCLA Orientation.
So far True Bruin’s development has mostly focused on a massive marketing effort to spread its message, one that the organizers feel speaks for itself.
Last summer, more than 7,000 pins were distributed, and banners and posters reading “Welcome Home Bruins” were placed along Bruin Walk and Janss Steps.
Arrangements have even been made for the logo to appear on the back of every BruinCard next to four words: integrity, excellence, accountability and respect.
I’m happy that UCLA has taken steps to develop a kind of honor code, and I believe wholeheartedly in its message for a more ethical campus environment.
But I can’t help but wonder how simply wearing pins and hanging posters that say “True Bruin” can foster those ethics.
At last summer’s orientation, True Bruin was successfully used as the basis for a presentation and discussion about ethical standards at UCLA.
But as the program continues to evolve into a campus-wide entity, I hope it can be more tangibly applied to the lives of UCLA students, by being incorporated into disciplinary standards and endorsed by students.
Otherwise students will essentially just be provided with another item of UCLA paraphernalia to show off at the expense of university funding, and the program’s important message will be lost.
True Bruin’s presentation is simple. Materials feature the “True Bruin” logo in gold letters along with the UCLA seal. Integrity, excellence, accountability and respect are the program’s four core values, and True Bruin’s Web site features video testimonials by students and faculty about those ideals.
Associate Dean of Students Brian Carlisle and Neal adapted the program from the “Statement of Ethical Conduct” issued by the University of California Office of the President in May 2005, which sought to address the ethical values and standards of UC students.
“These values have been part of the tradition and history of this institution since it was founded, and only now has it been written out,” Carlisle said.
Carlisle said that respect, integrity, excellence, and accountability are already prevalent at UCLA, and the True Bruin campaign serves to reinforce those feelings.
“While there may not be tangible results, you will see people behaving in different ways,” Carlisle said. “I’m using anecdotal evidence. … A student came to me and said “˜It changes the feel of being on campus,’ and “˜Why weren’t (the banners) up when I first came here?'”
Carlisle said True Bruin isn’t meant to be a disciplinary tool for students, and that making it such would distance it from the very people the program was designed for.
“It’s difficult to disconnect it from behavior, but this is not about discipline; this is a way of life. … These are the values that should help engage ourselves in everything we do,” Carlisle said.
Yet it seems that the True Bruin program could be put to better use if used as the foundation for a more student-friendly campus discipline policy, as has been done with honor codes at other universities.
Because though I agree with Carlisle that most students already believe in such values, True Bruin could have the most powerful results if used as a tool with those who don’t.
When rooted in an honor code, disciplinary policies take on a feeling of respect and send a message to students that they shouldn’t be ethical only because they will get caught, but because it’s the right thing to do.
For example, Stanford requires that students pledge to complete their work with integrity and in turn, professors and teaching assistants must leave the room during all exams, showing a sense of mutual respect for the students.
The Stanford honor code has become such an integral part of the academic culture there that students see its lessons as an innate part of the curriculum.
While I doubt Stanford’s policy could be effectively implemented overnight, True Bruin could make valuable steps forward by putting its code to more tangible use in campus policies.
The program has a lot of potential at a university like UCLA. Moving beyond a simple marketing campaign and incorporating True Bruin into disciplinary standards, in a way that students can be aware of, can lead more effectively to a more ethical environment.
For more information about the True Bruin program, visit www.truebruin.ucla.edu. E-mail Noble at bnoble@media.ucla.edu.