Code of Ethics

Authority: Associate Vice Chancellor for Financial Services
Adopted June 29, 2012
Last Revised: February 13, 2024

East Carolina University has been entrusted by many constituents – including students, faculty, staff, patients, and the State of North Carolina – with great resources and commensurately great responsibilities. Staff in Financial Services in the Division of Administration and Finance play a key role in assuring that high standards of ethical practice are applied to the custody and use of these resources. Each employee understands that his or her personal and professional conduct reflects on East Carolina University as well as his or her individual reputation. To guide Financial Services staff in setting and practicing high standards of ethical conduct, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Financial Services has adopted the following code of ethics as advocated by the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

The employee’s conduct should be characterized by integrity and dignity, and he or she should expect and encourage such conduct by others.

The employee should adopt and be faithful to personal values that:

  • accord respect to self and others;
  • preserve honesty in actions and utterances;
  • give fair and just treatment to all;
  • accept intellectual and moral responsibility;
  • aspire to achieve quality;
  • refuse conflict, or the appearance of conflict, between personal and institutional interests; and
  • engender forthright expression of one’s own views and tolerance for the views of others.

The employee should act with competence and should strive to advance competence, both in self and in others.

The employee should understand and support East Carolina University’s mission and policies. The employee should be capable of interpreting them within and beyond the institution and should contribute constructively to their ongoing evaluation and reformulation.

In discharging his or her duties in accordance with this Code of Ethics, the employee should enjoy the following rights:

  • the right to work in a professional and supportive environment;
  • the right to have a clear, written statement of the conditions of his or her employment, procedures for professional review and a job description outlining duties and responsibilities;
  • within the scope of his or her authority and policy, the right to exercise judgment and perform duties without disruption or harassment; and
  • freedom of conscience and the right to refuse to engage in actions that violate the ethical principles contained in this code or provisions of law.