October 23, 2026

Fraud policy reporting

The University of Georgia is committed to maintaining the highest professional standards in its administrative operations, promoting ethical practices among its faculty and staff, and ensuring a level of accountability appropriate for a public institution. In accordance with this goal and in compliance with University System of Georgia (USG) policies, the University’s Fraud Policy is administered by the Internal Auditing Division (IAD).

While IAD holds the primary responsibility for investigating fraud, waste, and abuse and reporting such matters to the System office, all state employees have an important role and obligation under these policies. Employees are encouraged to review the fraud policy and the information provided herein to understand their obligations surrounding the investigation, reporting, and resolution of fiscal irregularities and employee malfeasance. UGA units should involve IAD (and the UGA Police Department and/or Workforce Engagement as appropriate) in scenarios involving potential fiscal irregularities, employee malfeasance, and related misconduct. If you are unsure whether certain conduct is or may be reportable under the policies, please reach out to IAD.

Employee malfeasance is broadly defined in the fraud policy. Reportable matters include, but are not limited to:

  • Theft
  • Fraud
  • Embezzlement
  • Misappropriation
  • Alteration or falsification of documents
  • False claims or reimbursement requests
  • Theft of any asset
  • Inappropriate use of computer systems (e.g., hacking, piracy, unauthorized access)
  • Violation of state or federal laws
  • Violation of the USG Ethics Policy
  • Misuse of state or federal funds

If in doubt, please err on the side of reporting such matters to IAD.

Useful links

Please share this reminder as appropriate with management and staff in your unit and promptly reach out to IAD or OLA with questions regarding UGA or USG policies relating to fraud, waste, and abuse.

2026-27 USG Student Guide to GenAI Literacy now available

The updated USG Student Guide to GenAI Literacy gives higher education students a practical starting point for thinking about generative artificial intelligence in their coursework. It reminds students that they are still responsible for the work they submit—understanding it, checking information and sources, following their instructor’s expectations, and acknowledging AI use when required.

The student guide does not represent USG policy on GenAI use by students. It is meant to be a resource faculty and students may use to talk about when AI may be helpful and when students need to do the work themselves. The guide is published as a Word file (.docx) so that faculty may edit it at will to best suit their needs.

Amazing Student: Sydney Howell Grahl

Sydney Howell Grahl (B.S.Ed. ’25, M.Ed. ’27) first gained interest in speech-language pathology while working as a paraprofessional in an elementary special education classroom. This semester, she is back at that school completing an internship as a graduate student and Double Dawg in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s communication sciences and disorders program.

“Growing up in Athens, it was always my dream to attend the University of Georgia, and when I learned about its renowned program in communication sciences and disorders, the decision was simple!” she said.

Read the full story on our website.

Media mention: McArdle interviewed by 11Alive

Danielle McArdle, a lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology, was interviewed by 11Alive News about the growing popularity of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream’s sold-out crowd at State Farm Arena for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

McArdle noted that investment in women’s sport, committed ownership, and strong community support have contributed to the growth of the Dream’s fanbase. She also highlighted the significance of the team’s planned move to State Farm Arena as evidence of increasing demand for women’s professional sports in Atlanta.

“That dedicated ownership leading to a new roster, showing that commitment to the team has then got the city and the whole area out behind them,” McArdle said.

Read the full story on the 11Alive website.