What is NYU's Ethics and Compliance Program?

NYU’s nationally recognized Ethics and Compliance Program is composed of five essential elements:

  • A risk based approach to assess and prioritize the University’s global compliance risks and to mitigate them;
  • A University-wide Compliance Structure with oversight by the Audit and Compliance Committee of the NYU Board of Trustees;
  • University Policies and Guidelines;
  • Communication, Education and Training; and
  • Annual and Periodic Monitoring.

Who is Responsible for Compliance?

As members of the University community, we are individually responsible for compliance with the regulations and policies that apply to our substantive areas of responsibility. At an institutional level, the University has compliance obligations in addition to ensuring that individual compliance obligations are met. While substantive responsibility for compliance is decentralized, the Office of Ethics and Compliance, led by the Chief Global Compliance Officer, centrally develops, coordinates, implements and manages the Ethics and Compliance Program. In addition, the Office has substantive responsibility for the following areas: import and export compliance, conflicts of interest, concerns and complaints about noncompliance with the Code of Ethical Conduct and other University policies, investigations into violations of University policies and compliance complaints, and the compliance reporting line.

What is Compliance?

Universities and members of the University community operate under many laws and regulations- international, federal, state, local and administrative- that may apply at an institutional level as well as at an individual level based on areas of responsibility and activities. These legal requirements are incorporated into University policies that apply to the University community as specified in the particular policy.

Compliance is a systematic approach to governance designed to ensure that an institution meets its obligations under all applicable laws, regulations, best practices and standards, contractual obligations, and institutional policies. NYU is strongly committed to ethical conduct and fostering a "culture of compliance." A "culture of compliance" is an environment that supports adherence to the law and to University policies and procedures. To express its commitment to these goals, the University has created the Ethics and Compliance Program.