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Annual ethics training begins Wednesday

October 18, 2010

It is time again for all NIU employees to complete ethics training.

Under the terms of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, all full-time and part-time, regular and temporary faculty, staff, graduate assistants, extra help and student employees must complete online ethics training. Everyone who receives a paycheck from the university must complete this training.

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, all employees will receive an e-mail notification with specific directions on how to access the online training. This notice will direct employees to the NIU Human Resource Services website where they can access the online ethics training site.

The training covers such topics as prohibitions against accepting gifts and bribes, conflict of interest, inappropriate use of university resources for personal matters, whistleblower protection and avoidance of political activities during the work day. The training module includes review questions in the text.

Ethics training begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, and concludes at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. There are no extensions.

The state’s Office of the Executive Inspector General notes that employees who do not comply with the annual training mandate can be subject to fines and disciplinary action.

Employees are notified by e-mail and campus mail. Training should be completed during normal work hours. Employees should check with their department on what arrangements are made for workstation access and scheduling of training times.

Employees can contact Human Resource Services — (815) 753-6039 or (815) 753-6000 —  for information or assistance. Technical questions can be answered by Information Technology Services at (815) 753-8100.

For further information, contact:

  • Information on Ethics Training: NIU Ethics Training Administrators Deborah Haliczer or Karen Smith, (815) 753-6039
  • Ethics Questions: NIU Ethics Officer Steven D. Cunningham, (815) 753-6021
  • Human Resource Services: (815) 753-6000
  • ITS Help Desk: (815) 753-8100