Responsibilities

The System Ethics and Compliance Officer (SECO) is responsible for working with other A&M System offices and members to establish and maintain an effective, systemwide ethics and compliance program, coordinating ethics and compliance activities within the system and reporting to the General Counsel with access to the Chancellor and to the Board through the audit committee regarding the status of such activities. The SECO is authorized to work with individuals and obtain information throughout the A&M System as necessary to carry out the following responsibilities:

  • Develop, implement and monitor the systemwide ethics and compliance program;
  • Assist in the development, implementation and/or monitoring of each member’s ethics and compliance plan;
  • Develop or enhance ethics and compliance education and training opportunities throughout the system;
  • Serve as a source of ethics and compliance information for employees, management and the System Internal Audit Department;
  • Assist member ethics and compliance officers and functionally responsible offices in overcoming barriers to achieve the highest level of ethics and compliance;
  • Collaborate with members to develop innovative and effective ways to mitigate ethics and compliance risks;
  • In consultation with the System Ethics and Compliance Committee, identify risks and make recommendations for policies, regulations and rules;
  • Refer ethics and compliance matters to the General Counsel and/or Internal Auditor for investigation, as appropriate; and

The A&M System and its members seek to share resources (subject matter experts, training, etc.) and best practices to facilitate compliance across the system. In consultation with the System Ethics and Compliance Committee, the System Ethics and Compliance Officer works with the member Chief Executive Officers or designees to design and implement effective compliance (to include compliance plans) that maximizes cost-sharing and best practice opportunities (including, but not limited to, the development of systemwide subject matter expertise, training and education) for compliance services by and between members and across the system.

Organizational Chart

System Ethics and Compliance Committee

Chancellor John Sharp, Chair
Janet Gordon, Vice Chair 
Chancellor’s Executive Committee
General Counsel
Chief Auditor