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Compliance Matters

Updates from the Office of Compliance, Risk, and Ethics
February 2024
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Spotlight: Compliance and Ethics Specialist/Youth Protection Coordinator

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Debra (Debbie) Bouyer as the new compliance and ethics specialist/youth protection coordinator. 
Ms. Bouyer worked 11 years as compliance manager with Prudential Financial, Inc. in the asset management division where she worked on conflicts of interest, financial disclosures, and gifts and entertainment matters, before shifting to focus her career on DEI initiatives. She comes to us from U.S. Pharmacopeia in Rockville, where she was the diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging program manager. Debbie has a bachelor of arts in sociology from State University of New York at Albany, a diploma in paralegal studies from New York University, and a diversity and inclusion certificate from Cornell University. 

During family vacations, Debbie loves the thrill of exploring and trying to solve mysteries in escape rooms. She is married and has two children. Please join us in welcoming Ms. Bouyer to her new position!
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Child Welfare Services Training on "Recognizing and Reporting Child Maltreatment"

We are excited to share that Ms. Cheryl Harper-Spencer, a social worker from Montgomery County Child Welfare Services, will provide training to College employees regarding mandatory reporting laws. Participants will learn the mission of Child Welfare Services, the categories of child maltreatment, how to make a report, and the services that Child Welfare Services offer.

According to Maryland law and the College's Protection of Minors Policy and Procedure (75005), anyone who has reason to believe a child (individual under 18 years old) has been subjected to abuse or neglect must make a report to government authorities. This includes College employees, students, volunteers, visitors, and individuals or groups using College facilities for any purpose. Participants will learn how to fulfill their reporting obligations and how to collaborate with the College's Youth Protection Coordinator.
The one-hour training will be Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 2:30 pm via zoom. Please register in Workday if you would like to attend.
OCRE’s wheel showing the areas that are part of its work: Compliance, Ethics, Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX, Protection of Minors, Internal Audit, Maryland Ethics Reporting, and Enterprise Risk Management.

Know Your Compliance Facts. Where do I Find Them?

There are many laws and regulations that the College is required to follow. Here are four simple things you could do to stay on top of being informed about compliance issues.

Read email messages. Emails from compliance@montgomerycollege.edu contain legally-required disclosures from the College to all employees regarding various compliance matters. The most recent employee disclosures are available on the OCRE webpage, in additional to certain historical disclosures.

Read the Compliance Matters newsletters. The newsletters are delivered to your College email twice each semester. Articles in the newsletters are focused on the highest compliance risks at the College and provide news you need to know. Prior issues of Compliance Matters are available online.

Be familiar with the College’s policies and procedures. As you encounter questions or need to make a decision on an area of compliance, visit the policies and procedures webpage.

When unsure, ask before you act. Feel free to contact the Office of Compliance, Risks, and Ethics with any question. We will either answer your question or direct you to someone who can.
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Test Your Conflicts of Interest IQ

You know that a conflict of interest (COI) is defined as any situation in which an employee has an interest or loyalty that directly or indirectly affects, or has the appearance of affecting, the individual’s professional judgment in performing a College duty or responsibility. How prepared are you to identify a COI? Let’s test your knowledge.
  1. Conflict of interest is role dependent. True or False?
  2. A College vendor invites you and your spouse to a gala. This is a ticketed event, with single tickets selling for $50. The vendor has served the College for three years with excellent customer service, but the contract expires a couple months from now and will be going out for a competitive RFP at that time. Is it OK to accept the vendor’s invitation?
  3. You have a friend whom you know is well qualified for a position currently open at the College. Can you recommend her to the hiring manager?
  4. In addition to her job as full-time faculty at MC, Claire serves on the board of directors of a local arts organization. Is this a conflict of interest?
  5. Appearances matter. True or False?
  6. You are a professor that recently authored a new textbook which is now going to print. Can you promote it in an MC newsletter?
Please make sure to read our next issue for the answers and score.
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Interpretation and Translation Services

Montgomery College is dedicated to providing high-quality educational services for all students, faculty, staff, and residents in our county. To remove language barriers to College services, Montgomery College has contracts with outside companies to provide translation (written) and interpretation (oral) services for individuals who need information in languages other than English.

These services include 24/7 phone interpretation in hundreds of languages as well as in-person interpretation and document translation for College-related activities. If your office is interested in having access to this service, please contact Karla Silvestre or Katie Nguyen.
MC ethical standards wheel, with civility and collegiality highlighted in green.

What Does Civility and Collegiality Look Like in the Workplace?

Here are a few ideas for how you might embody this value in your everyday interactions:
  • Use good manners.
  • Respect differences.
  • Listen effectively to others.
  • Collaborate effectively across units, departments, campuses.
  • Work well with colleagues on committees, teams, and projects.
Interested in learning more? Check out the College's Ethical Expectations Guide. Developed by a workgroup of twelve employees from across the College, this resource offers practical guidance for living out the Code of Ethics while on the job. We invite you to delve into this booklet and make it your own: identify at least one concrete action you can take to help create a thriving ethical culture at MC.
Report a concern via EthicsPoint
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