A message from Rhonda L. Bishop

This fourth edition of the IntegrityStar is a very special edition because it covers a topic that is both important and timely. Over the last several months, we have witnessed, through the media, political arena, and even here at UCF, different opinions and perspectives on how we view and treat others who may be different from ourselves. UCF’s position on the topic of diversity and inclusion has remained unchanged for 25-years, having been established as one of Dr. Hitt’s top five goals for the university when he became president. To be diverse and inclusive means being respectful. That is why we decided to devote this spring edition to respecting others.

Please take a few minutes to read the article from our Chief Diversity Officer, Karen Morrison, titled, Respect and Inclusion at UCF, and the article submitted by our new Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, Nancy Myers, titled Harassment. A third article, Discrimination Hurts Us All, is followed by a short video on respecting others and a cartoon that emphasizes how important all employees are to creating a respectful culture at UCF.

In this April 2017 edition of the IntegrityStar, we also take the opportunity to recognize Dr. Hitt for his unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion and to his outstanding efforts in compliance. Who better to feature in our Recognition section than Dr. Hitt, a man who has devoted 25-years to making UCF more inclusive and diverse, and for creating an office devoted to compliance and ethics.

If you catch someone doing the right thing, don’t forget to let us know. Also, if you have suggestions for future topics or articles, please send them to complianceandethics@ucf.edu.