All NIU employees must complete an online ethics tutorial between Oct. 16 and Nov. 14.

The tutorial is NIU’s compliance with state-mandated ethics training. All state employees are required to complete it.

Deborah Haliczer, director of employee relations for Human Resource Services, said the tutorial covers a variety of ethical issues.

“It covers not doing political activities during the workday or not taking bribes,” Haliczer said. “For example, in employee relations, we don’t take bribes for getting people jobs.”

Eric Davis, a sophomore accountancy major, said he doesn’t think the ethics training is necessary.

“I think it’s common sense that you don’t go around talking about what grades so-and-so got,” said Davis, who works as a tutor for the Peer Assisted Learning office.

Time is a factor in the tutorial. More than 600 NIU employees last year had to fill out an additional packet because they completed the online training in 10 minutes or less, Haliczer said.

She said the timer ran while employees read the text of the tutorial, but not the quiz itself. Therefore, employees who skipped pages to get to the quiz were registered as having very fast completion times, she said.

Haliczer said that will no longer be the case, because the state has incorporated the questions into the text of the tutorial.

The tutorial will take an estimated 45 minutes to complete, she said.

“People should spend an adequate amount of time thinking about ethics, and that will satisfy the legal requirement,” Haliczer said.

Philosophy instructor Tina Gibson agreed the tutorial is a good tool.

“I think ethics are very important,” Gibson said. “Much of it is common sense but because it’s instituted, it shows that it isn’t common sense. You have to be mindful of policies and procedures.”

NIU employees will receive an e-mail with instructions and a link to the online ethics training Oct. 16. Questions should directed to Deborah Haliczer at 815-753-6039.

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