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Article | SCCE CEP Magazine

Report card for your higher education institution's compliance program

Recap from the 2023 SCCE Higher Education Compliance Conference

Oct 02, 2023·Authored by Kyra Castano

Colleges and universities are constantly encountering financial, reputational and legal risks. Compliance and ethics programs are charged with collaborating with various subject-matter specialists across campus to ensure the myriad higher education compliance requirements are met on a regular basis.

Does your higher education institution have a process to measure your compliance program’s effectiveness?

Baker Tilly higher education risk specialist, Kyra Castano, CIA, and Director of Compliance and Privacy Officer at The College of New Jersey, Aminah Massenburg, Esq., CCEP, co-authored an insightful article for the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) after they presented at the 2023 Higher Education Compliance Conference on the same topic. The article covers:

  • Higher education compliance program stages and the importance of fostering a culture of ethics
  • Compliance assessments and the resources used for evaluation and review
  • Measuring compliance program quality and effectiveness

Key takeaways from the article

College students return to campus in the fall post-pandemic
  • It is paramount to continuously evaluate your institution’s compliance program
  • To accurately measure the compliance program’s effectiveness, consider determining your current “stage of life”
  • In March 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice released additional guidance to assist prosecutors in making informed decisions as to whether and to what extent the compliance program was effective at the time of the offense and is effective at the time of a charging decision or resolution
  • Whether you decide to conduct a self-assessment or have a third party conduct the assessment, the starting point should involve understanding your institution’s critical risks and reporting mandates as well as trending risks across the higher education industry
  • Keep in mind: the goal is not to have a perfect compliance program. The objective is to have an effective compliance program, which means they are malleable and provide room for growth and maturity.

For more information, or to learn more about how Baker Tilly’s higher education risk advisors can help your institution, connect with our team.

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This article was originally published by CEP Magazine, a publication of the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), in the October 2023 issue.

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