In keeping with its tradition of encouraging employees to follow the highest of ethical standards while helping them to understand our compliance obligations both as individuals and as an institution, Penn State will be participating in Corporate Compliance and Ethics Week. This week has been set aside not only to build awareness of the University’s Office of Ethics and Compliance initiatives, but to reinforce the positive culture of ethics and compliance across all levels of the Institution.
Penn State faculty and staff will have several opportunities to join in the celebration. Starting today, watch for daily news features in Penn State Today highlighting ethics and compliance efforts at the University. Each story will feature an ethics and compliance related trivia question and all correct responses will be entered into a daily prize drawing. We are also looking for nominations of employees who embody the Penn State Values in the workplace. Please share the name and department of the nominee, along with which Value they represent and why to psoec@psu.edu by 8 a.m. on Nov. 8. Winners will be selected from each campus and prizes will be awarded to both the nominator and the nominee.
University-wide compliance and ethics education, via the Annual Compliance Training course, which is slated for launch in December, allows our organization to roll out new and updated compliance and ethics program policies and reinforce with employees their compliance and ethics obligations. Participation in Corporate Compliance and Ethics Week gives additional opportunity to shine a spotlight on the importance of compliance and ethics and boost compliance culture.
The Office of Ethics and Compliance, established in April 2013, is a centralized unit reporting functionally to the Legal and Compliance Committee of the Board of Trustees and administratively to the senior vice president of finance and business/treasurer. The office is operationally responsible for youth protection, University ethics, athletics integrity, athletics compliance (Division I and Commonwealth Campuses), central investigations, compliance training and communications, and export control. The office manages the Penn State Hotline, including reviews and investigations arising from hotline reports. Its staff lead a number of oversight committees and councils that bring together relevant leaders from across the University, including the Ethics Committee, the Youth Programs Council, the Compliance Training Committee and the Ethics and Compliance Council (an advisory body composed of 24 University leaders representing Penn State’s compliance functions.)
For more information about the Office of Ethics & Compliance, please visit https://universityethics.psu.edu/.
Corporate Compliance & Ethics Week began in May 2005 as a way to help members of SCCE & HCCA to increase awareness of compliance and ethics issues at their organizations. It has since grown to an annual event that is celebrated around the world. Find out more at https://www.corporatecompliance.org/about-scce/corporate-compliance-ethics-week
Submit your answer to the question below at https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3DJmjyUWJU6Avwp. All correct responses received by 8 a.m. on Nov. 6 will be entered into the daily prize drawing.
Who is the University’s chief ethics and compliance officer?