As part of an ongoing effort to establish a formal ethics and compliance program, the university has established Values, Principles and Responsibilities for Executive Officers.

The guidelines can be found on the President’s website. They apply to the president’s leadership team, composed of 13 executive officers, seven presidential direct reports, and advisers.

U-M began developing a leadership principles in late 2024 to articulate shared ethical commitments and responsibilities. The Ethics, Integrity, and Compliance Office developed drafts and, using benchmarking and executive officer feedback, finalized the statement with the executive officers and President Domenico Grasso in fall 2025.

The Ethics, Integrity and Compliance Office will review the guidelines with executive officers every five years, at a minimum.

While the Values, Principles, and Responsibilities for Executive Officers are not university policy, they are supported by various university policies, as well as the bylaws of the Board of Regents. The ethical standards complement current and future policies.

These principles will serve as the central pillar for executive officer ethical behavior at the University of Michigan. The Values, Principles, and Responsibilities for Executive Officers do not replace unit-level policies, practices, or expectations, nor do they remove the responsibility of executive officers or their units to manage policy within their units.

The guidelines are designed to exemplify the highest standards of ethical conduct, accountability, and transparency, and set clear expectations on topics including respect, integrity and modeling a culture of compliance and accountability.