The mission of the Office of Audit, Compliance & Privacy is to assist Auburn University, Auburn University at Montgomery, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (the "University") in fulfilling its vision of being a preeminent comprehensive land-grant university. Our office provides services in three distinct yet related disciplines - audit, compliance, and privacy - in support of Auburn University's three-pronged mission of teaching, research, and service.
The Office of Audit, Compliance & Privacy functions in partnership with University leadership to:
Back in March when we moved to remote operations, I never imagined we would still be operating (largely) this way as we move into the final quarter of 2020. Yet here we are and despite the challenges, we continue to carry out the unique mission of higher education through education, research, and outreach.
Each month much of our newsletter focuses on things that have gone wrong in higher education; however, this month I wanted to point out some things that went right, despite the obstacles this year has brought. Here at AU, we transitioned quickly and relatively smoothly compared to what I heard from many of my colleagues in higher education. One reason for our smooth transition was the excellent work by Auburn University's Biggio Center. Educause highlighted this work in a recent article. Educause is a nonprofit association and the largest community of technology, academic, industry, and campus leaders advancing higher education through the use of IT.
I highlight this because the actions they took allowed us to continue carrying out our primary mission and I would argue is an example of effective risk management. The pandemic brought us unique strategic risks, and one important component of successful risk management is the ability to adjust to new and emerging risks quickly to ensure the mission continues.
We hope this publication assists you in being able to mitigate emerging risks quickly in your role. We again invite you to review the unique and emerging issues occurring across our industry. As always, we welcome your input and suggestions.
Read this month's issue of Case In Point
The University uses the EthicsPoint anonymous Reporting System to enhance communication and empower individuals to promote safety, security, and ethical behavior. Use this anonymous, confidential system to report situations, events or actions by individuals or groups that you believe unethical or otherwise inappropriate. Frivolous or unfounded reports do not help foster a positive workplace. This hotline service does not replace our existing reporting methods for reporting fraud, waste, abuse or other potentially illegal activities. The University continues to encourage stakeholders to report concerns or suspected violations to their supervisor or other campus entities as appropriate.
If you are uncertain if a situation violates University policy, is illegal or constitutes harassment or discrimination, you may use EthicsPoint to obtain clarification. We would much rather have you ask questions than let potential problems go unchecked. However, EthicsPoint should not be used for immediate threats to life or property. If the situation presents an immediate threat to life or property call emergency -- 911
Last Updated: January 24, 2020
