KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 7, 2024

In celebration of Ethics Awareness Week, Kennesaw State University leaders on Wednesday discussed and answered questions about integrity, one of the institution’s core values.

The program, Fireside Chat: Leading with Integrity, featured Nwakaego Nkumeh Walker, KSU’s chief legal affairs officer, in conversation with Sonia Toson, KSU’s vice president for organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and inclusive excellence. During the event, Nkumeh Walker shared personal anecdotes and offered the audience her perspective on what it means to lead with integrity.

“When we talk about integrity, it’s such a weighty word,” Nkumeh Walker said. “I like to think about it in real, practical terms. So, for me the definition of integrity is acting ethically in a consistent way. As a leader, I'm always asking myself ‘Do my actions reflect my values and what I stand for, and am I accountable?'”

When personal integrity guides people in an organization like KSU, it helps ensure that everyone within the university community is treated with fairness and honesty, she added. Integrity is essential at KSU in ensuring that policies that govern the institution are followed and applied with fairness.

“My advice for leaders is to ask yourself if the actions you are contemplating are compliant with policy,” Nkumeh Walker said.

When campus leaders are unsure about what action is required by policy, there are resources to help.

“We have so many campus partners that are here to assist us in answering some of these questions,” Nkumeh Walker said. “Maybe you send a note to the internal audit team, or maybe you’re sending a question to ask legal, or to ombuds and asking a question of them.”

In addition to being the featured event of KSU’s Ethics Awareness Week, Wednesday’s event was also the third presentation in a year-long Lead KSU series sponsored by the Division of Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership Development, and Inclusive Excellence.

“The Lead KSU series has been a powerful tool for the campus community to express how we embody our core values in our service to KSU and beyond,” Toson said. “Ethics Awareness Week is but one opportunity throughout the year to reflect on those values, and we will continue the conversation year-round as we advance toward national prominence.”

KSU’s Ethics Awareness Week is hosted by the Internal Audit Department and features a slate of programs focused on ethical behavior.

Throughout Ethics Awareness Week, activities and events at Kennesaw State and other USG institutions bring awareness to ethics to reinforce a culture that recognizes the hard work of all employees and promotes the university system’s shared values of integrity, excellence, accountability, and respect.

Ethics Awareness Week kicked off Monday with a keynote address by Kennesaw State alumnus Nels Peterson, presiding justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, at USG offices in Atlanta, an event that was available throughout the system via streaming.

– Story by Gary Tanner

Photo by Matt Yung

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.