Every day, I am amazed by the impact that we have together. The caliber of students we attract and graduate, the top-ranked national programs we deliver, and the research breakthroughs we discover. Each one of us plays an important role in those achievements. What each of us does matters a great deal — especially when no one is watching.
Every day, we’re also faced with ethical decisions of utmost importance that we might not realize — from handling personal data and disclosing conflicts of interest to using Institute resources and treating others with respect. It’s not just what we accomplish at our jobs that determines our collective success, but also how we get there, the example we set for others, and the ways we respond to mistakes or misconduct.
As stewards of the public trust, taxpayer funding, and philanthropic contributions from donors, ethical behavior isn’t a bonus at Georgia Tech. It’s a must. If we fail the public, our donors, our partners, or our students, we put the future of Georgia Tech in peril. On the other hand, if our work is indeed above reproach, we help the Institute thrive and contribute to its growing positive impact across the globe.
Ethics Awareness Week at Georgia Tech — five full days of ethics programming from Nov. 9-13 — offers a unique opportunity to step out of our comfort zones, get involved, and learn practical strategies for behaving ethically and responding to unethical behavior from others.
To kick off Ethics Awareness Week, I and several other members of Institute leadership — Chaouki Abdallah, executive vice president for Research; Kelly Fox, executive vice president for Administration and Finance; Steven McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs; and Todd Stansbury, director of Athletics — participated in a fun ethics quiz to break the ice and get our minds focused on this vital subject.
In preparation for this annual week of campus engagement, the Office of Ethics and Compliance has partnered with the Veterans Resource Center, LGBTQIA Resource Center, Office of International Initiatives, Office of the Provost, and Ethics Technology and Human Interaction Center to ensure holistic, diverse programming that addresses the multitude of jobs we have at Georgia Tech.
You can find the full schedule of events and activities here. Virtual accommodations are in place, so I invite you to, please, take the time to attend events, participate in activities, and learn something new you can use in your daily work to help make Georgia Tech a more ethical, respectful, and responsible institution of higher education.
Because it’s on us — each and every one of us — to define a culture at Georgia Tech we can all be proud of.