The UC Ethics & Compliance Program was approved by the Regents in 2008 and is designed to enhance the University's duty to perform its public responsibilities in an ethics and compliance-based environment where legal, regulatory, University policy, and other compliance requirements are followed and in which the public trust is maintained. The UC Merced Ethics and Compliance Program (ECP) coordinates campus obligations arising from the systemwide program.
The UC Merced Ethics & Compliance Program seeks to prevent misconduct by partnering with campus offices to:
- Establish clear expectations and standards of conduct
- Bring awareness about applicable laws, regulations, and policies
- Establish and maintain internal controls that mitigate compliance risks
The Merced Program is designed to detect problems that occur by having mechanisms to identify and report misconduct and non-compliance. Our program remedies violations, system failures, and internal control weaknesses through corrective action, policy improvements, and training and awareness.
The ECP is administered with emphasis on seven essential elements of an effective compliance program including:
- Written policies, procedures, and standards of conduct
- Governance structure that includes a compliance officer and compliance committees that provide oversight of the program
- Effective education and compliance training
- Monitoring and auditing activities
- Reporting misconduct and investigations
- Enforcement of policies and well publicized disciplinary guidelines
- Response to non-compliance and prevention
