On Culture: Celebrating Excellence & Ethics

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to travel to each of our campuses to personally thank our faculty and staff for a truly great achievement—being named the 2016 Institution of the Year in the University System of Georgia (USG) awards for service excellence. Visiting all five of our campuses, across 175 miles, takes a full day. Yet, getting to interact in person with the team that supports our students in transforming their lives is always well worth it.

Our core values of stewardship, engagement, adaptability, and learning are built on sound ethics. Stewardship speaks to our responsibility for investing public resources, both in terms of dollars and talent, in creating more opportunities for success. Engagement reminds us that we cannot go it alone, no matter the challenge. And, in the face of constant change, adaptability allows us to truly learn by doing.

At the root of who we are as an institution—whether in Cochran, Dublin, Eastman, Macon, or Warner Robins, including the new Georgia VECTR Center at MGA—is a desire to do the right thing. That desire is a reason to celebrate as we wrap up the USG’s “Celebrating an Ethical Culture” observance of International Fraud Awareness Week tomorrow.

Each day this week, many of you have taken a few minutes to learn more about fraud prevention. Today, you put that new knowledge to the test in a trivia contest. I am proud to announce the winners of three prizes from the Middle Georgia State Campus Stores:

  • Paul Johnson, Student Success Center Coordinator in Macon, won the “R&R in Rain or Shine” prize, a swag bag containing MGA-branded poncho, Frisbee, and back scratcher;
  • Wendi Allen, Advancement Services Coordinator in Cochran, won the “Ready for That Meeting” prize, an MGA travel mug containing hand sanitizer and breath mints; and
  • Terri Watkins, Assistant Professor of Nursing, won the “To-Do List: Check!, Time to Party” prize, an MGA travel mug containing a pen and can koozie.

Congratulations to our winners and thank you all for celebrating the excellence and ethics that make Middle Georgia State a great place to work!