[UD has bolded some words.]
It is time again for all NIU employees to complete ethics training.
Under the terms of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, all full-time and part-time, regular and temporary faculty, staff, graduate assistants, extra help and student employees must complete online ethics training. Everyone who receives a paycheck from the university must complete this training.
On Wednesday, Oct. 20, all employees will receive an e-mail notification with specific directions on how to access the online training.
… Ethics training begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, and concludes at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. There are no extensions.
The state’s Office of the Executive Inspector General notes that employees who do not comply with the annual training mandate can be subject to fines and disciplinary action.
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NIU didn’t have to use threats. It could instead have told the campus community to complete its ethics training in honor of Rod Blagojevich, who instituted the policy.
October 18th, 2010 at 5:42PM
The Southern Illinois U (where I work) also just announced that we have to participate in this annual waste of time. Our bureaucrats have to justify their insanely high salaries in some way.
October 18th, 2010 at 6:04PM
True for all state employees (except for legislators and the governor…). A tremendous waste of time and energy. The questionnaire is beyond inane (and the university has to pay for its administration).
October 18th, 2010 at 10:51PM
When I think “ethics”, I think “Illinois State Government”.
In a related note, when I think “ice cream” I think “sushi”.
October 19th, 2010 at 9:13AM
My parents, the last year they taught at an Illinois state school, had to do this.
I asked my father about it, “But, if a person were unethical, wouldn’t they still know the “right” answers to the questions and answer what they knew the test makers wanted to hear?”
He told me to shut up.
And yes, the irony was not lost on him of having to take an ethics test instituted by Rod Blagojevich.
On my campus, we had to take a test to prove we knew how not to sexually harass people. Of course, by the same token, passing the test meant also that we knew how to sexually harass people but we were claiming we would not.
October 19th, 2010 at 9:36AM
LOL, ricki. Reminds me of one of my heroes, Alexander McPherson.
November 13th, 2011 at 8:05AM
[…] Blagojevich required this training for every state employee, including professors at places like Northern Illinois University. A person at Western Illinois University testified to the effectiveness of the program here. She […]