Friday Focus: Safe and responsible activities

Nov. 3, 2023

— By Julie Queen, vice chancellor for administrative services

We have had a whirlwind of activities and events in the past several weeks with even more fun on the horizon as we approach the holidays, finals, and winter break. I hope you will take the opportunity to join one of our upcoming UAF events, bring a friend (or two), and meet new ones! From a Blue and Gold Governor’s Cup hockey game (Go Nooks!) to the Diwali Festival of Lights, a UAF Yoga Club class, the University Women’s Association bazaar, or a community ski swap, this weekend is full of ways to connect and celebrate together.

Along with the fun, we will also continue working together to ensure we contribute to a welcoming environment for students, colleagues, and community members. I hope you have completed your annual (and required) UA Safe Title IX training. The deadline this fall for completion was Oct. 31, so please reach out to your supervisor or the Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability (ORCA) at 907-474-7300 or uaf-orca@alaska.edu if you are not sure whether your completion results have been reported. 

In addition, UA’s National Compliance Week begins on Monday and runs Nov. 6-10. The UA System Office is working with each university as part of creating a compliance program including resources to help us know “what to do” in sometimes delicate situations. This includes greater awareness of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act and is a great chance for us to boost our awareness about university compliance, risk management, and ethical conduct. UAF also has it’s own Compliance Alliance team. This group, made up of members across various UAF units, dedicates it’s focus to identifying institutional risk and fostering clear communication between areas responsible for university-wide compliance requirements. 

As we approach the holiday season where gift giving may cause us to have questions about “what to do” or there may be opportunities outside of the work day to personally advocate for the university in the upcoming months, here are some resources for ensuring we approach these situations correctly. 

I have found the quick "Compliance Chat" video clips to be particularly helpful, and highly recommend the Gifting Guidelines for UA Employees (Chat #1) as a starting point. There is also a handy printable infographic covering 10 Tips for Common Sense Compliance for those that want to learn more. I encourage you to reach out to your supervisor if you have questions about any of your specific compliance responsibilities or feel free to consult with UAF’s Senior HR Business Partner and Ethics Representative, Byran Hoppough. As always the UA confidential hotline is available 24x7 as another useful tool for anonymous reporting, and is another way UA demonstrates a commitment to good stewardship of resources and compliance. Please enjoy all of the fun in the coming weeks in safe and responsible ways!

Friday Focus is written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.