Ethics and Compliance Office

Temple is committed to fostering a culture of integrity and ethical behavior throughout the university. The Ethics and Compliance Office (PDF) is an independent function reporting directly to the Board of Trustees. We seek to provide all members of the Temple community the resources and guidance needed to uphold the highest standards of integrity.

Our staff are available to anyone who has questions, would like to discuss an ethical dilemma, provide information about a potential violation, or receive guidance on relevant rules and procedures.

Answering Your Questions and Addressing Your Concerns

Open and honest communication is a key element of our culture. It’s important that all of us understand the laws, rules, policies and guidance that apply to our conduct. It’s also important that we hear from you when you have a question or concern. Your input is essential, and your concerns and questions will be heard clearly, answered openly and resolved fairly.

We provide many resources to assist you in finding answers to your ethics and compliance questions. In addition to these resources, we maintain the Temple University Ethics and Compliance Helpline. The helpline is a 24-hour communication channel hosted by Convercent by OneTrust. It provides a safe resource for asking questions, raising concerns, or submitting reports relating to potential violations of applicable laws or university policies, standards or procedures.

Ensuring the Integrity of Our Data

Transparency and honesty in the way Temple conducts and represents itself is critical for the university. To foster the highest standards of accuracy, the Data Verification Unit (DVU) within the Ethics and Compliance Office implements rigorous, universitywide procedures for verifying university data. Learn more about Temple’s data verification procedures and information about required DVU review. 

Protecting Minors on Campus

Temple University welcomes minors to campus for summer programs, sports camps and clinics, lab and other training opportunities, and nondegree and noncredit educational programs. This page provides information for parents; program employees; volunteers; non-Temple organizations or individuals (third-party); and university faculty, staff and contractors who administer covered programs. 

Those who administer covered programs must comply with applicable federal and state laws and university policies regarding the protection of minors on campus. Additionally, all individuals involved in covered programs who serve minors must adhere to background screenings and conduct requirements, including the obligation to report known or suspected abuse or neglect of a minor under applicable law. Learn more about the processes and requirements for running programs that include minors on campus.

Understanding and Managing Enterprise Risk

Risk is inherent in every activity. Understanding and managing risk is vital to making informed, intelligent decisions. The Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program within the Ethics and Compliance Office serves to identify, report and manage the risks present throughout the university. By continuously partnering with leaders across the university, we work to identify, assess, report and mitigate the critical risks that Temple faces.

Training Opportunities

Are you looking for training on an ethics and compliance matter? The Ethics and Compliance Office conducts live training on ethical decision-making, data integrity, and other ethics- and compliance-related topics. 

You can send an email request to our office. Be sure to identify the subject of the training you seek, as well as the target audience. You will be contacted by a member of the Ethics and Compliance Office for further information.

No Retaliation

Temple University strictly prohibits any form of retaliation or retribution against any individuals who report, in good faith, an actual, potential or suspected issue regarding compliance with applicable laws or regulations or university policies.