Ethics Week is here at Georgia Tech, and I encourage everyone in our community to participate in these five days of events (lectures, games, giveaways and more!) and learn practical strategies for strengthening our culture and work environment, both through our own behavior and the ways we respond to others.
Our mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition relies on a set of core values, including — very importantly — our commitment to act ethically, to hold one another to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct, to be transparent and accountable, and to earn and maintain the public trust. As stewards of precious public resources — taxpayer appropriations, family tuition dollars, sponsored research, and philanthropic contributions — we must make adherence to strict ethical behavior an integral part of our culture.
It’s not just what we do, but how we do it, that matters.
The commitment to ethical conduct extends to all our public universities in Georgia. Indeed, the University System of Georgia’s (USG) mission demands integrity, good judgment, and dedication to public service from all members of the USG community. So, this will not just be Ethics Week at Georgia Tech, but we will be joining our 25 fellow public institutions and the Board of Regents University System Office in hosting activities and bringing awareness to the importance of an ethical culture and our shared core values of integrity, excellence, accountability, and respect.
This year’s theme is Guided by Ethics: Navigating the World Today. All this week (Nov. 7 – 11), campus experts and guest speakers will join the Office of Ethics and Compliance to present on a variety of topics tailored to the needs of our many community members. You can find the full schedule of events and activities that Georgia Tech and the USG have planned here.
No matter what role any of us has — whether we’re students, faculty, staff, or affiliates — our work should proceed from an unimpeachable commitment to upright conduct that extends across everything we do. I am proud of our students, faculty, and staff for holding fast to these commitments and setting a good example for others to follow.
As a reminder, our Annual Compliance Training is also underway. The required training prepares each of us to exercise sound ethical judgment, act with integrity and transparency, and understand our responsibilities to USG and Institute policies. There’s no better time to complete this training than Ethics Week, and I encourage you to get started soon.
I hope to see you around campus at some of our many Ethics Week events. Thank you for all you do to promote an ethical culture at Georgia Tech. Go Jackets!
–Ángel