Policies and Procedures

The System and its component universities have many established policies and procedures containing ethics and compliance elements. The following are some key policy building blocks for the System’s Ethics and Compliance Program.

  1. Code of Conduct - The University Code of Conduct is the cornerstone of the System’s Ethics and Compliance Program. The Code of Conduct communicates the System’s expectations of proper conduct and describes the professional standards the System values. 
  2. University of Illinois Admissions Code of Conduct - The University of Illinois Admissions Code of Conduct assigns clear responsibility for admissions decisions and establishes other benchmarks for admissions processes. The University of Illinois Admissions Firewall Practices prohibit inquiries into a student’s application for admission except by the applicant, the applicant’s parents or legal guardian, the applicant’s spouse, and the applicant’s high school counselor. In addition, the University of Illinois System Policy on the Ethical Recruitment of Students prohibits fraudulent and aggressive recruitment of students (including but not limited to veterans and Military Service members) to the university.
  3. Comply with Anti-Bribery Laws - This policy is based on the federal Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). It provides clear guidance on the FCPA’s anti-bribery provisions and reflects the System’s expectations for those participating in international activities both in Illinois and abroad. For those seeking to do business with the University, this policy also reinforces that the University is an ethical and reliable compliance partner. 
  4. Reporting Fraud or Misconduct, Whistleblower Protection, and Investigations - This policy defines employee responsibility for reporting good faith allegations of fraud or misconduct, establishes procedures for addressing wrongful conduct, and protects those who make good faith allegations of wrongful conduct to a designated University official.
  5. Ethics Line - The Ethics Line (1-866-758-2146) is available toll-free for reporting good faith allegations of violations of law, policy, or procedure.
  6. Investigative Procedures - These procedures describe how allegations of misconduct received by the University Ethics and Compliance Office are investigated.
  7. Conflicts of Commitment and Interest - The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs maintains the System’s Policy on Conflicts of Commitment and Interest, the Policy on Financial Conflicts of Interest in Research, and the Policy on Organizational Conflicts of Interest. The trio of policies is intended to take a comprehensive approach to disclosing, avoiding, and managing both actual and perceived conflicts of commitment and interest pertaining to the non-University activities of faculty and academic staff members. 
  8. Conduct and Discipline for Civil Service Employees - This policy covers several important fundamental ethics topics for Civil Service employees, including conflicts of interest, non-University financial obligations, political activities, employee conduct in the workplace, solicitation on University property, and discipline.
  9. Integrity in Research and Publication - This policy addresses integrity in research and publication, and outlines procedures for impartial fact-finding and fair adjudication of allegations of academic and research misconduct.