Panel discussion focused on setting professional standards at UVU

Written by Paige Melton

Kicking off Ethics Awareness Week was a panel discussion focusing on UVU’s role as a trusted public entity. Held in the Clarke Building, the event was

 

The first of its kind, the panel focused specifically on UVU as an institution, the role of the faculty and staff in ethical policy making and set professional standards. While UVU has a long standing tradition of holding an Ethics Awareness Week, this is the first session to focus on UVU.

 

Brian Birch, Director of the Center for the Study of Ethics, stated “This is the first time we’ve hosted an Ethics Awareness Week session geared specifically toward UVU employees, and we choose to begin the conversation by drawing people’s attention to the role of UVU as a public institution and the obligations of our university to our community and region.”

 

The discussion was facilitated by Jeremy Knee, General Council and University Compliance Officer, and the panel consisted of Barbara Smith, Director of Communication; Kyle Reyes, Vice President for Student Affairs; and David Connelly, Associate Vice President for Academic Programs.

 

The discussion began with reviewing a part of President Tuminez’s Council Statement on Ethical Conduct: “A shared commitment to ethical conduct is essential to the university’s success in fulfilling its mission.”

 

This sparked a conversation about what the university’s mission is, with emphasis on the desire to serve the community, provide quality education, be a cornerstone of the community and offer opportunities to all who to enter our doors.

 

While each of the panelists came from different backgrounds and had unique perspectives, they all possessed a shared passion to create an environment in which the moral and ethical values of the students and community is the number one priority.