Our Values in Action

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Being a faculty or staff member at UW-Milwaukee is something of which you can be increasingly proud. Especially over the past year, Panthers across the nation and world have come together to support one another, and I am grateful to each of you for exemplifying UWM’s Guiding Values while on the job and in your everyday lives. The concepts within these values – innovation, collaboration, positively transforming students, care and compassion, diversity, ethics, transparency and more – come to life through our actions and are bedrock to UWM being a first-choice institution at which to learn, work and grow.

Below are reminders and resources on how all of us can continue to do our part through our behavior, communication and more. I extend my thanks for your efforts as part of the Panther family.

Code of Conduct

UWM’s Code of Conduct puts our Guiding Values into action by outlining expectations of our behavior at UWM, including:

  • Integrity
  • Trustworthiness
  • Equity
  • Respect
  • Stewardship
  • Compliance
  • Confidentiality
  • Personal Responsibility

UW System Reporting Hotline

Occurrences of fraud, waste and abuse are rare, but even one instance can harm UWM. UW System provides an easy and anonymous hotline for students, staff, and faculty to report behavior they believe to be wasteful or in violation of our policies. Reporting is possible on a 24/7 basis, either via the EthicsPoint website or by calling (855) 827-4950.

Ethics

Like other state employees, UWM faculty and staff are subject to ethical rules governing the use of university resources, conflicts of interest and acceptance of gifts. Generally, an employee may not use his or her university position to gain private financial or other benefits for the employee, the employee’s immediate family or an outside organization. Please click here for more details on these rules via the Office of Legal Affairs.

In addition, UWM takes very seriously any employee actions or failure to act that results in improper personal gain, such as theft, misappropriation, and credit card/travel expense fraud.  For the policy on fiscal misconduct, click here.

Discrimination, Sexual Violence and Harassment and Title IX

UWM is committed to a campus environment that protects people’s rights to learn, work, live and participate in activities free from discrimination and harassment based on protected status such as sex, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation and others. UWM’s Discriminatory Conduct and Consensual Relationships Policy provides guidance to report potentially violative behavior. For information and resources to identify, report and respond to sexual violence, please see our Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy. Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination, underlies the two policies linked above. To contact UWM Title IX Coordinator Kimberly Anderson, please click here.

Executive Order 54

UWM strives to provide a safe and secure environment for everyone involved in university activities. In 2011 the Governor signed Executive Order #54, which requires all UW System employees to report incidents of child abuse and neglect. You may encounter children at UWM through various programs, camps and events. To read about our responsibilities in this area, please click here.

IT Usage

Information technology resources and their security continue to be a significant responsibility for UWM. Using IT resources properly is everyone’s responsibility – whether it’s protecting confidential information, being mindful of phishing and spamming attempts or using resources responsibly. Regent Policy Document (RPD) 25-3, “Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources”, is the governing policy on student, faculty, staff and visitor use of UWM IT resources.

Public Records

As a state agency, UWM is subject to the Wisconsin Public Records Law and laws providing for the retention of state records. As a UWM employee, it is important to note that the following are all subject to review and potential release under the law:

  • All email messages to and from your uwm.edu account
  • All email messages to and from a personal email account that relate to University business
  • All text messages to and from a personal mobile phone that relate to University busines

For more information on public records, please see the Public Records Reminders for UWM Employees page here.

Freedom of Expression

Part of UWM’s focus on inclusivity includes supporting free speech and upholding the First Amendment. As a public university, we are a forum for the free exchange of ideas, even if some of those ideas are offensive or challenging. In October 2017, the UWS Board of Regents adopted Regent Policy Document (RPD) 4-21, “Commitment to Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression”, affirming the Board’s commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression. Employees who violate that policy may be subject to employee discipline.

Political Activity

As a state agency, it is important for UWM to ensure that employees do not use university resources, including work time and facilities, for political campaign activity. For more information about political activities on campus, please see UW System’s published Guidance on Political Campaign Activities.

Whether you are located in Milwaukee, Washington County or Waukesha, your actions matter and impact the UWM environment. Again, my thanks for your contributions and your unique role in making UWM a safe, ethical, and healthy place to learn and work for all.

Best regards,

Mark A. Mone, PhD
Chancellor