Ethics and Compliance Program
What is the University Ethics and Compliance Program?
The VCU Ethics and Compliance Program reflects the collaboration between the Integrity and Compliance Office and university partners who work together to promote an organizational culture that encourages ethical conduct and compliance with the law.
We do this by engaging leaders and employees to support a speak-up culture
- through training and communications
- by building effective policies
- by assessing and mitigating risks
- by executing best-in-class reporting and investigative processes
We seek to create an environment characterized by robust employee reporting, no fear of retaliation, reduced misconduct, and a commitment to integrity in every transaction.
Explore the elements of an Effective Ethics and Compliance Program
Standards, procedures and controls help to prevent and detect unethical conduct.
Key Resources: Policy Library, Code of Conduct
Multiple levels of oversight by knowledgeable individuals ensure that standards and procedures are followed.
Key Resources: Accountability Matrix, Compliance Steering Committee, Compliance Advisory Committee, Board of Visitors
Providing education on relevant laws, regulations, university policy and expected conduct in the workplace reduces the probability of unethical conduct.
Key Resources: Integrity and Compliance Education, VCU Training, Compliance Corner Blog and Case Studies
Continuous/routine review of business activity allows issues to be identified early on and remedied quickly.
Key Resources: Accountability Matrix, Audit and Management Services, Integrity and Compliance Annual Report, Biennial Integrity and Compliance Culture Survey, Conflict of Interests
Open lines of communication increase early detection of issues and help identify areas or topics that require additional monitoring or education.
Key Resources: VCU Helpline, Internal Workplace Investigations, Duty to Report policy, Integrity and Compliance Annual Report, Biennial Integrity and Compliance Culture Survey Report, Compliance Steering Committee, Compliance Advisory Committee
Ensuring that expectations are met through effective checks and balances and taking consistent and appropriate disciplinary measures to discourage unethical conduct.
Key Resources: Internal Workplace Investigations
Taking reasonable steps to respond appropriately to unethical conduct prevents similar issues from occurring in the future.
Key Resources: Integrity and Compliance Education, Internal Workplace Investigations, Enterprise Risk Assessment Process
Periodically asking employees to complete a survey about ethics, integrity and compliance at VCU allows us to measure the cultural climate and identify opportunities for training and support.
Key Resources: Biennial Integrity and Compliance Culture Survey, Integrity and Compliance Education