Let’s Get Ethical: Spotlight on Ethics Begins Next Week

Though ethics is a year-round priority, Ethics Awareness Week puts a spotlight on how to make ethical decisions, where to find related resources, and Georgia Tech’s Office of Ethics and Compliance.

This year’s events, taking place Nov. 9 – 13, will be a mix of scheduled online presentations, on-demand activities, and in-person ethics tables around campus. Campus experts from the College of Computing; Veterans Resource Center; LGBTQIA Resource Center; Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Office of International Education; and Human Resources, among others, will join the Office of Ethics and Compliance to showcase ethics in a variety of contexts.

Kara Tucker, lead counsel and director of Ethics and Compliance in the Office of the General Counsel, said partnering with campus departments was intentional to ensure there is something for everyone in this year’s programming.

“Ethics is embedded in everything we do at Georgia Tech,” Tucker said. “We want everyone’s brains to churn around ethical topics in application, like ethics in AI, global collaboration, and diversity.”

The week begins with an introduction of “Reporting Concerns — Understanding Internal Investigations,” Monday, Nov. 9, at 10:30 a.m. Campus internal investigation leaders Melissa Hall (associate director of Forensics Audits), Ivy Gardner (director of Employee Relations), and Kyla Ross (assistant vice provost for Advocacy and Conflict Resolution) will share the ins and outs of what happens when a student or employee reports an ethical concern. This virtual presentation is all about Georgia Tech’s investigations process. Register at c.gatech.edu/nov9investigations.

Later that day, Ayanna Howard will give a presentation on “Dirty Data — When Good Data Goes Bad.” Howard, the Linda J. and Mark C. Smith Chair of the School of Interactive Computing and co-director of the Ethics, Technology, and Human Interaction Center (ETHICx), will share her expertise on the ethical use of data, focusing on how you are using others’ data and how others are using yours. The event begins at 3 p.m. Register at c.gatech.edu/nov9dirtydata.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, keynote speaker Steven Bay, who supervised Edward Snowden at the NSA, will recount Snowden’s story and reflect on recognizing threats, ethical culture, and accountability. Register at c.gatech.edu/nov10-keynote.

“Snowden remains the subject of controversy, and Steven Bay has a unique inside story of the 2013 classified information leak,” Tucker said. “The event highlights the intersection of ethics and cybersecurity, a huge academic growth area at Georgia Tech right now.”

View a full list of the week’s events and chances to win door prizes at ethicsfirst.gatech.edu/ethicsweek.

This year, Ethics Awareness Week coincides with the annual online compliance training that is required of all employees. The four training modules must be completed by Nov. 16 at training.hr.gatech.edu.

Learn more about ethics at Georgia Tech at generalcounsel.gatech.edu/ethics-first/ethics-compliance.