UNG programs support statewide, national ethics initiatives

The University System of Georgia (USG) is a participant of International Fraud Awareness Week, and, in support of this effort, the University of North Georgia (UNG) hosted workshops Nov. 13-19 to further promote an ethical culture across its five campuses.

The SPIRIT of USG campaign is focused on Stewardship, Prevention, Integrity, Responsibility, Inspiration, and Trust. The awareness campaign is part of a comprehensive Ethics and Compliance Program which includes ethics training, mandatory compliance training, assurance audits, consulting engagements, and an ethics and compliance reporting hotline.

"We pride ourselves at UNG for leadership and character development, and our culture and community are integral to our long-standing success. This week, UNG joins the University System of Georgia and its SPIRIT of USG initiative to mark International Fraud Awareness Week," UNG President Bonita Jacobs said in an email sent to all faculty and staff. "The UNG initiative 'Celebrate Our Ethical Culture' examines ethics while celebrating our institutional values — Excellence, Student-focus, Integrity, Engagement, and Service."

This comes at a particularly significant time, as UNG hosted the Regional Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl – featuring about 14 colleges and universities – for the first time Nov. 18.

The Ethics Week Initiative Committee visited leadership meetings on each of UNG's five campuses to discuss ethics, what constitutes an ethical culture and what it means to be an ethical professional.

"Our culture is very important to the success of not only our institutions, but our employees, students, communities, and ultimately how Georgia is educated, which makes it very important to me, and hopefully to all of you as leaders for the USG," said USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley.

Jill Holman, UNG's director of internal audit, led the university efforts, which included daily ethics-related emails to faculty and staff and a Family Feud-style game for students.

"Integrity is a key component of workplace ethics and a core value of our university," Holman said. "In my view, integrity is being honest and doing the right thing at all times. An employee with integrity most often proves to be a high-performing, excellent employee."

Rose Procter, director of UNG’s BB&T Center for Ethical Leadership, serves on the USG’s Spirit of USG planning committee and helped present to UNG's leadership groups throughout the week, along with Elizabeth King from Human Resources. Other members of the UNG committee included Sheila Caldwell, advisor to the president on diversity and director, Complete College Georgia; Bill Gash, associate vice president for Academic Affairs; and Edie Rogers, Office of University Relations.