Controller's Office Policy - General Principles

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Controller's Office Policy Manual

A. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Relationships of Employees and Office Managers

College and university staff play a key role in assuring that high standards of ethical practice attend to the delivery of services to their various constituents and to the custody and use of resources entrusted to them. The Controller’s Office management embraces the values expressed in these Principles of Employee Conduct and expects their observance by all its employees.

a. Expectations by Management of Employees

Office employees are entrusted with public resources and are expected to understand their responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and to behave in ways consistent both with law and with University policy. If an office employee becomes aware of a violation of University policy, the employee has a responsibility to inform an appropriate supervisor.

Office employees are expected to be competent and to strive to advance competence both in themselves and in others.

The conduct of Office employees is expected to be characterized by integrity and dignity, and they should expect and encourage such conduct by others.

Office employees are expected to be honest and conduct themselves in ways that accord respect to themselves and others.

Office employees are expected to accept full responsibility for their actions and to strive to serve others and accord fair and just treatment to all.

Office employees are expected to conduct themselves in ways that foster forthright expression of opinion and tolerance for the view of others.

Office employees are expected to be aware of and understand those institutional objectives and policies relevant to their job responsibilities, be capable of appropriately interpreting them within and beyond the institution, and contribute constructively to their ongoing evaluation and reformulation bringing to management’s attention instances where they have not been met.

b. Expectations by Staff of Management

Management are employees of the campus and should meet all of the expectations noted in section a. In addition management should:

Provide a work environment that is professional and supportive;

Provide persons under their direction a clear sense of the duties of their job, the procedures for performance review, and access to relevant University policies and procedures;

Considering the scope of each employee’s assigned areas of authority and responsibility, assign the duty to exercise appropriate judgement and initiative in performing duties;

Provide the right to seek appropriate review of matters that violate the ethical principles contained in these Principles.

If a manager becomes aware of a violation of University policy, the manager has a responsibility to take appropriate action.

Sexual Harassment

It is important that the workplace provide a safe, secure environment. It is the general policy of the Controller’s Office that no member of the office may sexually harass another person. For purposes of this policy and consistent with federal regulations, sexual harassment is defined as follows:

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when: 1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or academic work, 2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting such individual or 3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or academic environment.

It is the policy of the campus to protect the rights of all persons within the campus community by providing fair and impartial investigations of all complaints brought to the attention of appropriate officials. Any member of the Controller’s Office found to have violated this sexual harassment policy will be subject to disciplinary action.

Controller's Office
Room 405 Goodell Building
140 Hicks Way
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA 01003-9272
Tel: (413) 545-0806
Fax: (413) 545-6088

Last Updated: October 17, 2012