November 6 – 10, 2023 is the University System of Georgia (USG) annual Ethics Awareness Week.  In order to help "kick off" the week, the following is a few words about the importance of ethics and integrity to the College's Department of Athletics. 

Ethics is defined as, "the moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity.[1]"  Closely related to ethics is the personal character trait of integrity.  Integrity can be defined as, "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness; the state of being whole and undivided.[2]"  The word "integer" is the root of "integrity."  In mathematics, an integer is a "whole number."  So a person with integrity is a person who always acts in line with being honest and upright in his or her dealings.  A person who lives in integrity is a person who is "whole" – a person whose outward actions consistently reflect their inner character.
Within the USG, integrity is the first of the four Core Values expected to govern the daily work of all the System's members.  The statement of the USG's Core Values[3] is:

1. Integrity – We will be honest, fair, impartial, and unbiased in our dealings both with and on behalf of the USG.
2. Excellence – We will perform our duties to foster a culture of excellence and high quality in everything we do.
3. Accountability – We firmly believe that education in the form of scholarship, research, teaching, service, and developing others is a public trust. We will live up to this trust through safeguarding our resources and being good stewards of the human, intellectual, physical, and fiscal resources given to our care.
4. Respect – We recognize the inherent dignity and rights of every person, and we will do our utmost to fulfill our resulting responsibility to treat each person with fairness, compassion, and decency.

Within the NAIA, integrity is essential to the conduct of our coaches, staff and student-athletes.  It is of critical importance that integrity governs our actions both on and off the playing fields.  Integrity is the first of the NAIA's Champions of Character® Five Core Values[4].  The NAIA defines integrity as, "Knowing and doing what is right."  Additionally, integrity is further characterized by the following character traits.

1. BE COMMITTED: Set high standards for your behavior and stick to them even in difficult situations.
2. BE COURAGEOUS: Stand up for what you believe is just and good.
3. BE HONEST: Choose words and actions that are sincere, not misleading.
4. BE DISCIPLINED: Remain dedicated and self-controlled, even when challenged.
5. BE RESILIENT: Learn from mistakes and losses; seize the opportunity to improve.

Integrity is also one of the five values that our student-athletes, coaches and staff are expected to live out each day on and off the playing field.  The Department's values are represented by our Sails logo and the acronym SAILS.  The "I" in the SAILS values acronym stands for Integrity.   The Department of Athletics defines integrity as: 

Every action will be framed within a culture of integrity and responsibility. The Department will build a program characterized by honesty and the highest ideals of amateur athletic competition. The Department affirms the unique value and worth of every individual student-athlete, coach and staff member.  The Athletic Department will comply with all applicable laws and regulations set by the various governing bodies, while remaining under the administrative supervision and oversight of the College

So everyone associated with Mariners athletics is expected to represent themselves, the College, the NAIA and the USG with integrity in all interactions and activities.  Integrity is the cornerstone value that promotes individual respect for one another and ultimately leads to open and clear communication, mutual trust and respect. 

Just as it is a central part of all of these values statements, so also should integrity be a central part of the traits that make up the character and be evident in the actions of anyone who is fortunate enough to wear the Mariners' SAILS logo and represent the College in athletic competition.