A commitment to ethical behavior and character in our everyday encounters must be a catalyst for institutional transformation. The MSU Ethics Institute promotes the highest standards of ethical integrity across the university so that each person associated or engaged with MSU will directly experience the depth of our commitment to ethical conduct.  

Goals

The MSU Ethics Institute will be a catalyst for institutional transformation at MSU and a model of ethical organizational behavior across higher education. To meet the objectives of the MSU 2030 Strategic plan to make MSU a workplace of choice, the MSU Ethics Institute will put ethical decision-making and behavior at the center of university life. To accomplish this, the MSU Ethics Institute will: 

  1. Establish, support, and manage an MSU Ethics Certificate Program for MSU staff and faculty;
  2. Create, support, and manage an MSU Staff Ethics Fellows Program;
  3. Establish, support, and manage an Annual MSU Administrative Division Ethical Grand Challenges Program;
  4. Establish a formal mentoring program for MSU staff that focuses on facilitating individual growth and responsible action;
  5. Establish, support, and manage an ethics internship program with MSU administrative units for MSU undergraduates;
  6. In collaboration with the MSU Athletics Department, the Institute will provide programming and support for athletes to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of regulations and opportunities they have with integrity and purpose;
  7. Working closely with the Office of Human Resources and the Provost’s Office, the Institute will integrate ethics into all leadership onboarding, development, evaluation programs at MSU; and
  8. Establish a major, endowed, award for excellence in institutional ethics to be awarded annually to institutions of higher education from across the world who demonstrate excellence in ethical policy development, implementation, and decision-making.