Ethics and community-based education: Balancing respect for the community with professional preparation

Community-based education and service learning are becoming increasingly co mmon in health and human services education. As students enter the communit y, several ethical dilemmas arise regarding the university's interaction wi th the community. This article explores clinical, agency, and community pla cements in terms of the relationships they engender between the university and the community. The article then outlines some ethical obligations of un iversities and faculty members and ethical dilemmas that arise in different placements. Finally, a fundamental ethical framework that may guide univer sities and faculty members in planning community-based educational experien ces is proposed.