IEEE Launches Revised Reporting Process for Professional Ethics Violations

THE INSTITUTE As part of IEEE’s commitment to meeting the highest standards of integrity, responsibility, and ethical behavior, IEEE’s Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Professional Ethics identified several opportunities to improve upon the organization’s current processes around reporting, mediation, adjudication, appeal, and sanctions of ethical misconduct.

Acting on the recommendations of the committee, the IEEE Board of Directors adopted a set of changes to the IEEE Bylaws and Policies to strengthen our Ethics and Member Conduct processes. The new processes went into effect on 1 April.

Centralized Location for Reporting Misconduct

There is now one location within IEEE for the confidential receipt of all reports of both member and nonmember violations of professional ethics. The reports may be submitted anonymously. IEEE’s existing process has been expanded to receive these reports by either telephone or through a Web portal that has additional capabilities, allowing it to serve as the single entry point. This centralized ethics reporting process will improve the manner in which professional ethics violations are handled within IEEE, as well as ensure those cases are reviewed in a timely manner.

Extended Reporting Time Frame

The time frame to report professional ethics violations has been increased from two years to five years from the date of the incident.

Updated Procedures

The IEEE Ethics and Member Conduct Committee now has a separate Conduct Review Committee to handle reports of violations of professional ethics. EMCC procedures have been modified to streamline the reporting, evaluating, managing, and tracking of violations—which will allow for the early identification of trends.

Next Steps

To support organization-wide compliance with the centralized reporting system, IEEE organizational unit Web pages will link to the centralized Web portal.

IEEE regards matters of professional ethics with the utmost importance and thanks its volunteers, members, and staff for supporting its revised professional ethics violations reporting process and honoring IEEE’s global commitment to diversity, inclusion, and professional ethics.

If you have questions about IEEE’s revised professional ethics violations reporting process, email the EMCC.

To file a report on a professional ethics incident, or for more information, visit this Web page.

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