Code of Conduct

PDF

  • No: SAAP 7-3
  • Date: August 2021 (reviewed)
  •     June 2013 (original)
  • Authority: Faculty Document 2901
  • Initiator: Chancellor
  • Responsible Party: Human Resources

1. Introduction

This Code of Conduct establishes guidelines for professional conduct by those acting on behalf of the University including executive officers, faculty, staff, and other individuals employed by the University using University resources or facilities, and volunteers and representatives acting as agents of the University.

This document communicates the University’s expectations of proper conduct and the professional conduct the University values. It consists of two sections; a code of conduct with behavioral standards and expectations, and the UWM Respectful Campus Standards which prohibits all forms of bullying.

It is the intention of this Code of Conduct that nothing herein is intended to interfere with other applicable laws, policies or regulations that cover or inform personal and professional conduct at the University. This Code should be interpreted as being in concert with rather than in conflict with other law, policy and regulation whenever possible.

2. Conduct

Those acting on behalf of the University have a general duty to conduct themselves in a manner that will maintain and strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the integrity of the University and take no actions incompatible with their obligations to the University.

With regard to professional conduct, those acting on behalf of the University should practice:

  • Integrity by maintaining an ongoing dedication to honesty and personal responsibility;
  • Trustworthiness by acting in a reliable and dependable manner;
  • Equity by treating others with fairness and impartiality;
  • Respect by treating others with civility and decency, not engaging in bullying, intentional physical harm or intimidation.
  • Stewardship by exercising custodial responsibility for University property and
    resources;
  • Compliance by following State and Federal laws and regulations, University policies and contractual obligations related to their duties and responsibilities;
  • Confidentiality by protecting the integrity and security of university information such as student records, employee files, patient records, and contract negotiation documents.
  • Personal Responsibility by complying with the UWM Behavioral Standards and Expectations (see Appendix 1) and the UWM Respectful Campus Standards (see Appendix 2).

Those acting on behalf of the University shall seek appropriate guidance when faced with ethical dilemmas. For additional information related to ethical dilemmas, please contact the Office of Internal Audit at (414) 229-5586, or the Office of Legal Affairs at (414) 229-4278.

Other resource and contact information for various campus units is available in the Contact Information section of the University Web site.

Any alleged violations of this policy should first be reported to the employee’s direct supervisor, department chair or department head as appropriate. It is expected that the recipient of the information regarding the alleged policy violation will investigate and take appropriate action subject to applicable UWM policies.

3. Related Documents

  1. SAAP 5-1 Discriminatory Conduct and Consensual Relationships Policy
  2. UWM Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
  3. UWM Faculty Document No. 2229, AAUP Statement on Professional Ethics
  4. Classified Code of Ethics, Wis. Adm. Code Chapter ER-MRS 24
  5. Unclassified Staff Code of Ethics, Wis. Adm. Code Chapter UWS 8
  6. Conduct on University Lands, Wis. Adm. Code Chapter UWS 18

4. Appendix 1

UWM Behavioral Standards and Expectations

UWM believes in integrity, trustworthiness, equity, respect, stewardship, personal rights and personal responsibility. The following are UWM’s expectations for acceptable personal conduct. These standards are very basic and are established to advise the campus community of our standards.

  1. Employees are expected to carry out their instructions, duties and responsibilities as set forth in the descriptions of their positions with care and competency and as directed by those with authority to assign the work.
  2. Employees are expected to conduct personal business unrelated to their positions at UWM and solicitation (including political solicitation) for personal reasons on their own time.
  3. Employees are expected to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of confidential records and information.
  4. Employees are expected to be truthful, accurate and complete when providing information to anyone responsible for gathering information on behalf of UWM or another State agency.
  5. Employees are expected to abide by the policies and regulations for health, safety and sanitation.
  6. Employees are expected to conduct themselves with a degree of reasonable and proper care so as not to damage or injure others.
  7. Employees are expected to come to work as scheduled, and to abide by the requirements of their work schedules. Employees are expected to take the responsibility for reporting to work as required and be available according to the expectations of their positions.
  8. Employees are expected to respect university property and equipment, to use it only for appropriate university purposes and not to convert it for inappropriate or personal use.
  9. Employees are expected to respect the private property belonging to other individuals and not to remove or take possession of it without permission.
  10. Employees are expected to use care in guarding university keys and not to lend, borrow, duplicate or use them for an inappropriate purpose.
  11. Employees are expected to use care in guarding university passwords and not to share, borrow, steal or use them for an inappropriate purpose.
  12. Employees are expected to respect the use and security of university buildings and property and are expected not to enter restricted areas without authorization.
  13. Employees must respect the rights of others to be free of bullying, harassment, intentional physical harm or intimidation in the workplace.
  14. Employees must respect the rights of others to be free from intentional or personally directed abusive or offensive language in the workplace.
  15. Employees must abide by University policies regarding the possession of weapons or firearms on University property.
  16. Employees are expected to perform their duties without impairment or the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.
  17. Employees are expected to dress appropriately for the University workplace and to maintain standards for personal hygiene that do not affect the health or safety of themselves or others.
  18. Employees are expected to use badges, uniforms, campus IDs and permits (including parking permits) for the official uses intended.
  19. Employees are expected to display courteousness and use good judgment in dealing with the public and others in the University community.

5. Appendix 2

UWM Respectful Campus Standards

  1. General

    The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) promotes a working, learning, and social environment where all members of the UWM community, including but not limited to administrators, faculty, staff, students, and volunteers work together in a mutually respectful, psychologically-healthy environment. UWM strives to foster an environment that reflects courtesy, civility, and respectful communication because such an environment promotes learning, research, and productivity through relationships.

    Because a respectful campus environment is a necessary condition for success in aspects of the University’s mission and values, the University is committed to providing a respectful campus, free of bullying in all of its forms. Bullying is unacceptable in all working, learning, and service interactions. This Policy describes the values, cornerstones, and behaviors that delineate a respectful campus and applies to all members of the UWM community, including, but not limited to students, faculty, and staff.

  2. Values

    A respectful campus exhibits and promotes the following values:

    • Displaying personal integrity and professionalism;
    • Practicing fairness and understanding;
    • Exhibiting respect for individual rights and differences;
    • Demonstrating harmony in the working and educational environment;
    • Respecting diversity and difference;
    • Being accountable for one’s actions;
    • Emphasizing communication and collaborative resolution of problems and conflicts;
    • Developing and maintaining confidentiality and trust;
    • Achieving accountability at all levels.
  3. Cornerstones of a Respectful Campus

    The commitment to a respectful campus calls for promotion of an environment where the following are upheld:

    • All individuals have important contributions to make toward the overall success of the university’s mission.
    • UWM’s mission is best carried out in an atmosphere where individuals at all levels and in all units value each other and treat each other with respect.
    • Individuals in positions of authority serve as role models in the promotion of a respectful campus. Promoting courtesy, civility, and respectful communication is consistent with the responsibility of leadership.
    • Individuals at all levels are allowed to discuss issues of concern in an open and honest manner, without fear of reprisal or retaliation from individuals above or below them in the university’s hierarchy. At the same time, the right to address issues of concern does not grant individuals license to make untrue allegations, unduly inflammatory statements or unduly personal attacks, or to harass others, to violate confidentiality requirements, or engage in other conduct that violates the law or University policy.
  4. Definition of Bullying

    Bullying is unwanted offensive and malicious behavior which undermines an individual or group through persistently negative verbal or psychological abuse. There is typically an element of vindictiveness and the behavior is calculated to threaten, undermine, patronize, humiliate, intimidate, or demean the recipient.

    Bullying is not about occasional differences of opinion, conflicts and problems in workplace relationships as these may be part of working life. Bullying can adversely affect dignity, health, and productivity and may be grounds for corrective disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. Examples of behaviors that meet the definition of bullying above include, but are not limited to:

    1. 4.1 Cyberbullying

      Cyberbullying is defined as the use of electronic devices to convey a message in any format (i.e. text, image, audio, video) that defames, intimidates, harasses, frightens, stalks or is otherwise intended to harm, offend or humiliate another individual or group of individuals in a deliberate, repeated, hostile or unwanted manner under the perpetrator’s true or a false identity.

    2. 4.2 Physical Bullying

      Physical bullying is pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, and/or tripping; assault or threat of physical assault; damage to a person’s work area or property; damage to or destruction of a person’s work product or personal property.

    3. 4.3 Verbal Bullying

      Verbal bullying is repeated slandering, ridiculing, or maligning of a person or persons, addressing abusive and offensive remarks to a person or persons in a sustained or repeated manner; or shouting at others in public and/or in private where such conduct is so severe or pervasive as to cause or create a hostile or offensive educational or working environment or unreasonably interfere with the person’s work or school performance or participation.

    4. 4.4 Nonverbal Bullying

      Nonverbal bullying can consist of directing threatening gestures toward a person or persons or invading personal space after being asked to move or step away.

    5. 4.5 Anonymous Bullying

      Anonymous bullying can consist of withholding or disguising identity while treating a person in a malicious manner, sending insulting or threatening anonymous messages, placing objectionable objects among a person’s belongings, leaving degrading written or pictorial material about a person where others can see.

    6. 4.6 Threatening Behavior Toward a Person’s Job or Well-Being

      Making threats, either explicit or implicit to the security of a person’s job, position, or personal well-being can be bullying. It is not bullying behavior for a supervisor to note an employee’s poor job performance and potential consequences within the framework of University policies and procedures, or for a professor or academic program director to advise a student of unsatisfactory academic work and the potential for course failure or dismissal from the program if uncorrected.

  5. Reporting Bullying Actions

    Bullying behavior should be reported as follows:

    1. 5.1 Students

      A student who believes he or she has been the subject of bullying, or an individual who believes a student has engaged in bullying behavior should report the behavior to his or her advisor or a faculty member, the Chair of the Department, the Dean of the School or College or to the Office of the Provost. Students may also report acts of bullying to the Office of the Dean of Students, or to an Ombuds. The individual should select the reporting method he or she is most comfortable with and that is most appropriate to the situation.

      If the bullying is based on protected class status as defined in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, it should be reported to the Office of Equity/Diversity Services.

    2. 5.2 Staff

      An individual who believes he or she has been the subject of bullying, or an individual who believes a staff member has engaged in bullying behavior should report the behavior to his or her supervisor or manager, the Department Director or Dean of the School or College or to the appropriate Vice Chancellor or Provost. Individuals may also report acts of bullying to the Academic Staff Committee or the Classified Staff Council (as Appropriate), or to an Ombuds. The individual should select the reporting method he or she is most comfortable with and that is most appropriate to the situation.

      If the bullying is based on protected class status as defined in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, it should be reported to the Office of Equity/Diversity Services.

    3. 5.3 Faculty

      A faculty member who believes he or she has been the subject of bullying, or an individual who believes a faculty member has engaged in bullying behavior should report the behavior to the Department Chair, the Dean of the School or College or to the Provost. Individuals may also report acts of bullying to the University Committee or to an Ombuds. The individual should select the reporting method he or she is most comfortable with and that is most appropriate to the situation.

      If the bullying is based on protected class status as defined in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, it should be reported to the Office of Equity/Diversity Services.

  6. Measurement

    The campus will track the number of reported incidents from all sources.

  7. Action

    Bullying behavior will be investigated and handled in the same manner as misconduct, and may result in a variety of possible sanctions up to and including termination.

◄ Return to Policies