Code of Conduct

The Mission and Value of the Rady School of Management   

The mission of the University of California San Diego, Rady School of Management (UCSD Rady), is to develop ethical and entrepreneurial leaders who make a positive impact in the world through innovation, collaboration, and knowledge. Our collaborative culture is based on the five core values of innovation, impact, collaboration, integrity, and risk-taking.  

Code of Conduct and Application 

We will teach, guide, and challenge students to behave with the utmost of integrity during the recruiting process and adhere to this Code of Conduct (Code). Our Code is meant to provide general guidance and will not cover every situation the student may face in the recruiting process. Our Code is designed to help students do the right thing using a principles-based guide.

We have worked with organizations that are both large and small, as well as local and global, in developing our Code. We believe our students, and to some degree employers, need definitive guiding principles, primarily established to support students who lack the experience in choosing the best career for their future. The principles are reflective of the wide array of majors our undergraduates pursue, our global position, and in anticipation of a more diverse student body of the future.

Accounting Student Code of Conduct 

The University of California San Diego and the Rady School of Management expect all accounting students to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with this Code and be truthful, civil, responsible, knowledgeable, committed, honorable, loyal, courteous, professional, and respectful.

1. Truthful 

Present qualifications in a truthful manner. This expectation applies to information on Handshake, application materials and responses in interviews including, but not limited to, listing accurate GPA (not rounding up), major, degree level and experiences information on a résumé and online profiles, as well as being truthful in all interview responses and communications with the MPAc Executive Director, MPAc Career Consultant, and Accountancy Employer Relations Manager at UCSD Rady or member of the main Career Center (if you are an undergraduate student). Be straightforward and honest in your professional and business relationships.

You need to be accurate and truthful when conveying your experience, qualifications, grades, and other attributes to prospective employers, scholarship committees, and other parties. This includes academic accomplishments and skills developed through co-ops, internships, school clubs, and pre-professional associations (e.g., Beta Alpha Psi and United Accounting Society).

2. Civil

If you register for an event hosted by an employer or UCSD (e.g., office hours, info sessions, Insider Series, firm visits), or have scheduled a 1:1 with an employer at a Virtual Career Fair, you need to commit to be there. If you are no longer able to make the meeting or event as scheduled, you should cancel the 1:1 session or your registration within Handshake no later than 48 hours prior to the start of the event. This will allow another student the opportunity to attend the event or fill your 1:1 spot at the Virtual Career Fair. One of the rudest things you can do is make an appointment and not honor it. When you simply don't show up, you are showing the other person that you don't care about his or her time. Employers track “no shows” and it will reflect poorly when it comes time to review applications.   

3. Responsible 

Invitations to interview with employers (in-person, on the phone, or on a video conferencing platform) should be responded to as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours. Please accept or decline the interview as soon as possible so that employers may plan effectively.

Interview times may be changed or cancelled up to 48 hours before the scheduled interview directly in

Handshake. If necessary, email the Accountancy Employer Relations Manager and MPAc Career Consultant for assistance. Cancellations within 48 hours for reasons other than illness or an emergency are not acceptable and will jeopardize your recruiting privileges.

Please arrive 5 - 10 minutes early to check-in for your interview. Schedules are typically very full and late students may lose the opportunity to be interviewed.

Failure to appear for scheduled interviews prevents other students from using a time slot and wastes the recruiter's time. Such behaviors reflect poorly on your professionalism and could jeopardize UCSD's relationship with the employer, even causing employers to suspend recruiting at UCSD.

If you miss an interview for any unexplained reason, or cancel or reschedule an interview within 48 hours of your appointment, you will be required to submit a letter of apology to the recruiter explaining your reason for missing the interview. A copy must be sent to the MPAc Executive Director, Accountancy Employer Relations Manager, and MPAc Career Consultant within two business days after the missed interview. Otherwise your interviewing privileges will be suspended.

If you incur a second unexplained no-show, your recruiting privileges will be suspended immediately. You will be required to submit a letter of apology to the recruiter and justify missing the interview before your privileges will be reinstated. A third no-show will result in termination of your interviewing privileges for the rest of your tenure at UCSD.

3. Knowledgeable 

You must understand your offer(s) received. We want you to have as much information as possible to make an informed decision. As such, you will reach out to the campus recruiter for an explanation of the questions you have. If you still do not fully understand your offer, you should consider reaching out to the MPAc Career Consultant (if you are an MPAc student), or member of the main Career Center (if you are an undergraduate student), who can guide you towards a complete understanding of the offer.

There are typically a few conditions that employers will communicate to you. Examples might include: completing your studies with a certain grade point average, expectations of the CPA examination, your start date of employment, location of work, and your initial area of professional focus. You must engage with your recruiter on any of these questions. If you continue to have questions, you should consider reaching out to the MPAc Career Consultant (if you are an MPAc student), or member of the main Career Center (if you are an undergraduate student), who can help you better understand these conditions.   

4. Committed 

Before you accept a job offer from a firm, complete the interview process. Usually firms will provide a deadline of when they need you to decide on an offer. Be honest and transparent with recruiters. Be clear of what you really want. Acceptance or denial will generally not take the form of an oral conversation or voice mail. The way to formally accept or decline an offer is different for each employer. Follow the instructions on how to formally accept or decline your offer that are provided by the employer in the offer letter by the deadline.

Once you have accepted a job offer, you should terminate all other job search activity. Immediately cancel any remaining or upcoming interviews and withdraw pending applications. Notify other employers, Accountancy Employer Relations Manager, and MPAc Career Consultant that you are no longer available for employment. Failure to do so could deprive another student of those opportunities. Update your Handshake account to reflect that you are no longer actively looking for jobs.

5. Honorable 

The accounting profession is anchored in building trust. Accepting an offer is a commitment to the employer. On occasion, you might receive an offer from another firm after you have accepted an offer. Accepting an employment offer after you previously accepted an offer with another employer is defined as “reneging: and is considered dishonest and unethical and carries serious implications.

Before making a decision to renege on an offer, meet with the MPAc Career Consultant (if you are an MPAc student), or member of the main Career Center (if you are an undergraduate student) to weigh your options and determine the best course of action.

Reneging on an offer could be seen as an ethical and possibly legal violation of that commitment. Reneging also reflects poorly on the candidate and potentially damages UCSD’s reputation and relationships with employers. If you are not ready to make that commitment, do not accept the job offer. UCSD Rady considers reneging a serious ethical breach, except under dire circumstances. Reneging may result in the loss of recruiting privileges for the student forfeiture of your right to participate in any additional campus recruiting.

6. Loyal 

Prematurely quitting or accepting an internship without any consideration of the possibility of long-term employment can have negative consequences to the employer, UCSD Rady, and you.

You must understand, before accepting an internship offer, the employer’s intent in hiring you! Employers can’t cover in writing all the possible combinations of expectations involved in this.

Generally, there is no expectation by either the employer or the student for a long-term commitment upon signing and completion of the internship. If the firm notifies you upfront that they generally hire their interns after completion of the internship, you should factor this into your decision whether to accept this offer.

Some firms use internships as a way to get to know you better and for you to know the firm better. There is no commitment in advance for a full-time hire. If you receive an offer upon completion of the experience, you must accept or reject this offer immediately.

The key to managing internships is to be professional. Ask and understand the firm’s intentions, but also be open about your decisions as well!

7. Courteous 

Be courteous in all interactions. When an employer emails or leaves you a message, they expect you to respond – especially when it is regarding an offer. Reply within 24 hours. Be transparent and provide them a status update.

Say please and thank you. If an employer gives up their time, talent, or treasure in any way – thank them! If they take you out to lunch, dinner, or meet you for a cup of coffee, say thank you. After every interview, or when a professional sets aside time to give you career advice, thank them. If they send you a gift (e.g., gift card, food basket, anything!), let them know you received it and give thanks. Show your gratitude by sending a thank you card, emailing a message of thanks, or picking up the phone to personally thank them.    

8. Professional 

Be mindful of your personal brand when it comes to social media. Be extra aware of what you share. Once you put something on the internet publicly, there’s no expectation of privacy. Before posting consider how the content will reflect you as a professional. Current and future employers believe that how you present yourself online reflects on the quality of you as an employee. When in doubt, keep it professional.

9. Respectful 

At UCSD Rady, we understand the value of equity, diversity and inclusion, and its importance to the success of organizations. Freedom of thought and the open exchange of ideas are key to an effective learning and work environment and central to UCSD Rady. That kind of exchange can happen only in an environment that recognizes the value of each person and fosters mutual respect.

We recognize that true excellence is achieved when we feel respected for our perspective, background and heritage. Our community is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, skin color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, health (physical or mental), genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, veteran status, socioeconomic status or background, neuro(a)typicality, appearance, body size, computing experience, or clothing. We should all feel included and experience equitable opportunity in achieving our aspirations.

Consequences for Student Code of Conduct Violations

Failure to follow the policy guidelines will result in significant negative consequences that the Rady Accountancy Program deems necessary.

Missed Interviews
o 1st offense: If you miss an interview for any unexplained reason, or cancel or reschedule an interview within 48 hours of your appointment, you will be required to submit a letter of apology to the recruiter explaining your reason for missing the interview. A copy must be sent to the MPAc Executive Director, Accountancy Employer Relations Manager, and MPAc Career Consultant within two business days after the missed interview. Otherwise your interviewing privileges will be suspended.

o 2nd offense: If you incur a second unexplained no-show, your recruiting privileges will be suspended immediately. You will be required to submit a letter of apology to the recruiter and justify missing the interview before your privileges will be reinstated.

o 3rd offense: A third no-show will result in termination of your interviewing privileges for the rest of your tenure at UCSD.

Reneging (Full-time and Internship Offers) and Misrepresentation of Qualifications
o 1st offense: Removal from Handshake, including campus job search, interviewing access, and appointment scheduling privileges for the remainder of the current and next quarter.

o 2nd offense: Permanent deactivation of student’s Handshake account.

Missed Virtual Career Fair 1:1 Sessions
If an employer reports that you have missed a scheduled 1:1 session, the below consequences will apply:

o 1st offense: Students who fail to cancel their individual 1:1 career fair session (within Handshake or by contacting the employer prior to the start of the career fair) AND who do NOT show for a scheduled individual 1:1 session will be temporarily blocked on Handshake and will need to schedule an appointment to meet with the MPAc Career Consultant to discuss the reasoning behind the No Show.

o Multiple Offenses (No Shows) for one Fair within an academic year: Removal of Handshake privileges for the remainder of the current quarter.

o Multiple Offenses (No Shows) for more than one Fair within an academic year: Removal of privileges from Handshake for the remainder of the current quarter and next quarter.

To be considered for reinstatement after six months, you will be required to meet with the MPAc Executive Director, Accountancy Employer Relations Manager, and MPAc Career Consultant.

Contact Us 

∙ Jim Deiotte, MPAc Executive Director ‐ jdeiotte@ucsd.edu 

∙ Kathy Self, MPAc Career Consultant ‐ kself@ucsd.edu 

∙ Michelle Tillman, Accountancy Employer Relations Manager ‐ matillman@ucsd.edu 

∙ Main Career Center (for undergraduates) ‐ https://career.ucsd.edu/about/team/   

For additional student guidelines, please refer to the main Career Center’s website: 

https://career.ucsd.edu/employers‐recruiters/policies/#Student