Code of Ethics

Statement of Purpose: The Virginia Community College System and Virginia Highlands Community College are committed to providing comprehensive higher education and workforce training programs and services that are financially and geographically accessible and that meet individual, business and community needs of the Commonwealth.

These values serve as a guide for the members of the VCCS/VHCC community when ethical issues arise:

• We are committed to learning environments that foster academic integrity.
• We will be good stewards of our resources and make effective and efficient use of them, thereby ensuring accountability to the state and to the communities we serve.
• We will maintain the confidentiality and security of information entrusted to us and share information only when authorized or required by law to do so.
• We will not accept any gift, favor, loan, service, business or professional opportunity from anyone knowing (or when it should be known) that it is offered in order to improperly influence the performance of our public duties. We will avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
• We will offer good faith and fair dealings to all those we serve and with each other. Our communications will be civil and professional.
• We will offer employment opportunities in accordance with State, Federal and System/College policies supporting the rights and recognizing the needs of all citizens regardless of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
• We encourage and expect all members of the community to act in good faith and bring to the attention of the appropriate official any violation or potential violation of these principles.