Ethics

The responsibility for educating and training today’s and tomorrow’s state, national and global leaders carries with it the duty to adhere to the highest ethical standards and principles. The System Administration embraces this responsibility and has adopted an Ethics and Standards of Conduct policy to guide the decisions and behaviors of the organization and its employees.   

Organization Ethics and Values

The UNT System acts through its people. As an organization, System Administration employees are expected to model exceptional standards and act in the best interest of our community through honesty, transparency, and authenticity. System Administration employees also are expected to hold themselves and others who act on behalf of the System accountable for ethical decisions, behaviors, actions, and results. Doing this instills trust and confidence in the integrity of actions taken by the entire UNT System. 

Employee Ethics and Values

The UNT System Administration Ethics and Standards of Conduct policy creates a shared culture of ethical decision-making, ethical behavior, and compliance with applicable laws, Regents Rules, System Regulations and System Administration policies. This culture is consistent with the UNT System’s values and the System Administration's Ethics and Standards of Conduct policy, which establish the baseline by which employees are expected to perform their duties and responsibilities. These standards of conduct and ethical principles apply to all System Administration employees regardless of position or title.

Third-Party Ethical Conduct

In adhering to the System Administration Ethics and Standards of Conduct policy, each employee is expected to communicate the standards and principles set out in this policy to parties acting on behalf of the UNT System. Communicating our standards, principles, and values to our third-party vendors advances our commitment to compliance, to excellence, and to our community.  

Ethics Advisory Opinions

The UNT System Administration Compliance & Ethics Program, in consultation with the UNT System Office of General Counsel, responds to questions regarding the application of the System Administration Ethics and Standards of Conduct policy. The Program also works with the System Administration Office of Contract Administration when reviewing disclosures made pursuant to the Purchasing and Contracting Conflict of Interest Disclosure Guidelines

The Program will publish ethics advisory opinions when answers to ethics and disclosure questions have general application to the UNT System. These opinions are for educational purposes and general guidance only and are not a substitute for legal advice or guidance from the Office of General Counsel regarding specific ethics and disclosure questions.

System Administration officials are responsible for obtaining advice from the Office of General Counsel regarding the potential legal consequences of any decision or action related to the Ethics and Standards of Conduct policy and Purchasing and Contracting Conflict of Interest Disclosure Guidelines.

Ethics Advisory No. Subject Policies Date Published
EA-001

Exception to the prohibition against receipt of benefits – Entertainment and Food

UNT Policy 05.015

April 2009 (by OGC) 
EA-002

Exception to the prohibition against receipt of benefits – Complimentary Lunch

UNTSA Policy 03.701

December 2023