Ethical concerns committee: no cause for concern.(Code of Ethics Revision Committee)

When the Code of Ethics Revision Committee considered the formation of an Ethical Concerns Committee (ECC), we grappled at length with the issues so clearly articulated by LeAnne Baehni-Schultz in the June/July AMT. It was well known to us that the MTNA Board of Directors had previously decided against any enforcement of ethical standards on the grounds that MTNA recommends, but does not require ethical behavior and since no process of enforcement existed at the time, complaints were basically at the local level, and the violation of ethical standards brought about its own consequences.

It was appropriate to revisit this decision as we updated the Code itself. Instructive to us were examples of ethical complaint procedures in the business world as well as in sister arts associations. We examined the requirements for due process, as outlined in the Association Law Handbook and saw them fleshed out in the documents of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), among other organizations.

Committee member and NATS Executive Director William Vessels noted that during his total 23 years on the NATS Board in various capacities, its ethics committee successfully resolved numerous complaints over the years, with only one revocation of membership.

Central to our deliberation in MTNA was the purpose of an Ethical Concerns Committee. Our goal was not to police members, but rather to assist them with ethical complaints and work with them toward solutions. We realized that several local and state affiliates had such committees in place. If these affiliates stood ready to assist members with ethical dilemmas, it seemed incongruous for the national level to take a hands-off approach largely based on the narrow concept of an ethics committee for "enforcement." And while local problems might best be solved at the local level, is it not in the spirit of MTNA to have a national resource, should local attempts fail? Another benefit of the establishment of the ECC is that it adds an additional facet to our self-regulation, decreasing the likelihood of outside regulation.

The procedures for ethical concerns, as adopted by the Board of Directors, are organized into three sections: a) Submission of a Concern; b) Ethical Concerns Committee and c) Referral to MTNA Board of Directors. Members are strongly encouraged to work out ethical problems themselves. If the involved parties cannot resolve issues, a member may report an alleged ethical infringement to the executive director, who may be able to expedite a resolution. When ethical concerns cannot be immediately resolved, the ECC will be called upon to work toward a resolution. At both of these stages, steps are prescribed to ensure communication and as much anonymity as possible. There are also provisions for the executive director or the ECC to stop the process if, for example, a resolution is not forthcoming and further intervention would not be productive. Particularly grievous offences may be ...