By Caroline Laguerre-Brown, Principal and CEO of Designing Equity, LLC, and External Board Member of the ̽»¨Â¥ Board of Directors
The ̽»¨Â¥ has embarked on a critical initiative to strengthen its commitment to professional integrity by establishing the Task Force on Professional Integrity and the ̽»¨Â¥ Code of Ethics.
This task force is designed to address key gaps in ̽»¨Â¥'s current framework and build the foundation for a formal grievance process and comprehensive member education on ethics.
Background and Charge
̽»¨Â¥'s Professional Integrity Core Competency emphasizes the importance of honesty, professionalism, and ethical conduct among its members. However, the association's existing Statement of Ethics and Practice, last reviewed in 2019, requires updates to align with current best practices. Moreover, ̽»¨Â¥ needs a structured process for reporting ethics violations and ensuring accountability.
The task force is entrusted with several key responsibilities:
- Review and Revise the Statement of Ethics and Practice:
- Assess alignment with ̽»¨Â¥'s Professional Integrity Core Competency.
- Propose revisions to the Board of Directors.
- Develop a Member Grievance and Ethics Violation Reporting Process:
Define what constitutes a grievance versus an ethics violation.
Establish a structured complaint submission process.
Outline investigative procedures and potential sanctions.
- Recommend an Ethics Oversight Structure:
- Ensure Alignment with Existing Policies:
- Assess interactions with ̽»¨Â¥’s Events Code of Conduct.
- Identify legal risks.
- Develop a Member Education and Training Plan:
- Establish Transparency and Reporting Mechanisms:
Timeline and Membership Selection
The task force is expected to complete its work within six months, with regular progress updates to the ̽»¨Â¥ Board of Directors. ̽»¨Â¥ will select nine members with diverse expertise in ethics, compliance, legal frameworks, higher education governance, and conflict resolution.
Call for Applications to Serve on the Task Force
We invite members with expertise in ethics, compliance, legal matters, or governance to apply to join the Task Force on Professional Integrity and the ̽»¨Â¥ Code of Ethics to strengthen our Statement of Ethics and Practice.
This task force will develop a formal grievance policy and enhance governance processes to address ethics-related complaints.
Task Force Charge and Responsibilities
Members of this task force will play a critical role in:
- Updating the Statement of Ethics and Practice to align with ̽»¨Â¥’s core values and best practices.
- Developing and implementing a formal grievance process, including:
- Clear reporting mechanisms (secure online portal, email, mail submission).
- A transparent investigation process with confidentiality safeguards.
- Defined sanctions, disciplinary actions, and an appeals process.
- Anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers.
- Establishing an Ethics Committee to oversee policy enforcement, investigate grievances, and provide ethics education.
- Integrating ethics training into ̽»¨Â¥ programming through case studies, webinars, and an annual ethics report.
Please Apply By June 10
If you are interested in serving on this task force, please complete the application form by June 10, 2025.
For questions, please contact Dr. Tina DeNeen at deneent@aacrao.org.
We appreciate your commitment to professional integrity and look forward to your contributions.
Reinforcing Our Commitment to Integrity
This initiative underscores ̽»¨Â¥'s commitment to fostering a culture of trust, fairness, and ethical conduct within the higher education community. By developing robust grievance policies and enhancing member education, ̽»¨Â¥ aims to ensure that its members uphold the highest standards of professional integrity, aligning with its core competencies and ethics statement. The outcomes of this task force will strengthen ̽»¨Â¥'s internal processes and contribute to the broader effort to combat corruption and enhance integrity in higher education.