Office of Compliance & Risk
Vision
To establish a culture of compliance and risk management excellence within the university, ensuring the highest standards of ethical behavior, legal compliance, and effective risk mitigation
Mission
The Office of Compliance and Risk is dedicated to providing guidance and support to the university community and fostering a proactive approach to compliance and risk management. Through collaboration and education, we strive to protect the university's reputation while promoting a culture of accountability and integrity.
Know Your Rights
The Compliance and Ethics Program strives to provide information and resources to help enhance everyone's awareness of compliance requirements that apply to them. With improved awareness, you can prepare yourself to better spot issues and enlist help from campus resources.
College life presents many choices and challenges, and your actions can impact a wide circle of people – from the people who teach you and advise you to the people you live in the residence halls to the people who serve you in the dining hall. It is your responsibility to be aware of how your choices and actions may affect yourself and others around you.
Consumer Information
The U.S. Department of Education requires schools to provide consumer information about educational programs and the school’s success. This information allows students and families to make well-informed decisions as they select a college, ensuring that the university delivers on the services promised.Know your rights, responsibilities, and expectations as a student:
- Familiarize yourself with WSSU's Code of Student Conduct and follow these conduct expectations
- Know your Rights and Responsibilities
- Know what constitutes Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA) (200.13 - Release of Student Information and Education Records)
- Student Organization Resources
Promote a safe and secure campus environment:
- Contact University Police when necessary
- Familiarize yourself with SAFE @ WSSU
- Report harassing, discriminatory, and other unwelcome behaviors immediately
One of the biggest challenges for faculty members in terms of compliance is the fact that their day-to-day activities are so varied and that they intersect with many different compliance topics, which results in further obligations. Your own reputation, the University’s reputation, and the funding and support that WSSU relies on to fulfill its mission of teaching, research, and service are dependent on every member of the WSSU community taking responsibility for their own activities and for the compliance of those activities with legal and ethical standards. With improved awareness, you can prepare yourself to better spot issues and then enlist help from resources such as the University Compliance and Risk Officer, the Office of Legal, an HR representative, or other services.
Know your rights, responsibilities, and expectations as a faculty member:
- Become knowledgeable of relevant University Policies & Procedures
- Demonstrate the highest standards and ethical behavior when conducting research
- Protect the confidentiality of student records in accordance with Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA) (200.13 - Release of Student Information and Education Records)
Promote a safe and secure campus environment:
- Use the University Police as a resource
- Familiarize yourself with SAFE @ WSSU
- Report harassing, discriminatory, and other unwelcome behaviors immediately
Executive Officers, Associate Vice Chancellors, Associate Provosts, Deans, Associate Deans, Department Heads, and Supervisors all play a critical role in fostering a culture of integrity and compliance at WSSU. University Leaders must demonstrate a commitment and willingness to let values drive strategic decision-making and expect others to do the same. This means working with Compliance Owners and Partners in maintaining open lines of communication and supporting the University’s compliance efforts — both university-wide and within individual units and departments. You are always encouraged to enlist help from resources such as the University Compliance and Risk Officer, the Office of Legal, an HR representative, or other services.
Know your rights, responsibilities, and expectations as a leader:
- Embrace a commitment to the achievement of a culture of compliance through your words and actions
- Demonstrate the highest standards and ethical behavior in your decisions
- Measure and monitor compliance efforts within your teams and units
- Have immediate and appropriate corrective responses to incidents
- Become knowledgeable of relevant University Policies & Procedures
Promote a safe and secure campus environment:
- Use the University Police as a resource
- Familiarize yourself with SAFE @ WSSU
- Report harassing, discriminatory, and other unwelcome behaviors immediately
Greater awareness can ultimately empower you to understand better how and when compliance intersects with your day-to-day work at the University. Every staff member has different compliance obligations depending on your role and the precise nature of your work. Given the diversity of WSSU's compliance activities and the differing roles that staff members perform, no one expects staff members to understand or know how to solve every compliance issue. But with improved awareness, you can be better prepared to spot issues and then enlist help from resources such as your manager or supervisor, the University Compliance and Risk Officer, the Office of Legal, an HR representative, or other services.
Know your rights, responsibilities, and expectations as a staff member:
- Become knowledgeable of relevant University Policies & Procedures
- Protect the confidentiality of student records in accordance with Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA) (200.13 - Release of Student Information and Education)
Promote a safe and secure campus environment:
- Use the University Police as a resource
- Familiarize yourself with SAFE @ WSSU
- Report harassing, discriminatory, and other unwelcome behaviors immediately
