IU Kokomo's School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) and the City of Peru organized a Public Service Ethics Workshop on January 18 at Peru City Hall. The Workshop examined the legal, moral, and public safety aspects of unethical work behaviors, ranging from distrust and favoritism to theft and falsifying information. It also explored how a leader's personal values can influence his or her staff. “A leader’s personal integrity, fairness, and honesty can dynamically transform the level of public service provided by entire departments and organizations.”

Responsible administrators must be able to act in ways consistent with their role as guardians of the public good and trust,” said Professor of Public Affairs Robert Dibie, Ph.D., workshop coordinator and assistant dean of SPEA at Kokomo. Administrators serving at local, state, and federal levels—as well as senior police officers, sheriffs, and their deputies—should find the workshop lessons relevant to their duties, he said.

Peru Mayor James Walker, a SPEA Advisory Board member, arranged the workshop location. Involved in public service for Peru for two decades, including 12 years on the city council and 3 years as mayor, Walker knows that public leaders are held to very high expectations of ethical conduct.

Public sector professionals can use the workshop to “refresh” their understanding of
“the ethical mindset,” Walker said, and to review stateand federal laws governing theiractions. “It’s always good to improve and re-educate yourself, to see if you’re continuing to do things right andmake sure that your decisions are sound,” the mayor said.

Having faculty from IU Kokomo SPEA present the workshop “adds substantial credibility,” to the training, Walker said. “These are educators who conduct a lot of research in public affairs and management, coming here to share their knowledge with us.”

"Municipal administrators, law enforcement officers, and healthcare professionals found the workshop lessons relevant to their duties," said the Mayor of Peru James Walker. A SPEA Advisory Board member, Walker arranged the workshop location.

In 2006, Karl Besel, Ph. D., Assistant Professor of Public Affairs, facilitated a workshop for the City of Kokomo that department directors titled "Project Management: Moving form Project Planning to Project Action Plans." Approximately 20 department directors and city administrators attended the training. The training detatiled how public managers can pinpoint their critical tasks and then formulate action plans in order to address these areas.

 

For More Information contact :

Susan Wilson
School of Public and Environmental Affairs
East Building  - Room 332
(765) 455-9330 or swilson@iuk.edu