Education

Types of Ethics Training Available

Live (in-person or remote webinar) Ethics Training:

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission is presently scheduling trainings for Rhode Island public officials and employees to introduce people to the Ethics Commission and present information about the Code of Ethics by which all elected and appointed officials and employees of state and local governments are bound.  Trainings may be presented in-person or via remote video webinar and can last anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes.  The trainings are tailored to meet the particular needs and interests of individual groups.  While generally offered Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 am - 4:00 pm, arrangements can be made for trainings in the early evening hours and on the occasional Saturday.  There is no cost to participate in ethics training.

To arrange an in-person or remote webinar training session for your group, contact the Ethics Commission at (401) 222-3790.  You may also email the Ethics Commission at ethics.email@ethics.ri.gov. 

Online Training Modules:

The Ethics Commission is pleased to announce that ethics training is now available online through the RI Learning Center.

The course, entitled "Introduction to the Rhode Island Ethics Commission and the Rhode Island Code of Ethics," is intended to provide participants with a working knowledge of the Code of Ethics which sets forth standards of conduct for all Rhode Island public officials and employees. 

There are a total of seven modules in the training, each 7-10 minutes in length.  They can be taken in any order and need not be taken in one sitting.  The entire course was designed to be completed in about an hour.  The modules include:

Module 1: Introduction 
Module 2: Conflict of Interest and Recusal  
Module 3: Nepotism      
Module 4: Guide to Prohibited Activities, Part 1  
Module 5: Guide to Prohibited Activities, Part 2  
Module 6: Advisory Opinions and Complaints      
Module 7: Financial Disclosure

Online training is not intended to replace in-person training but is offered as a convenient supplement or when immediate access to information is needed.

Registration for Online Training:  

Online Training Registration for State Elected and Appointed Officials and Employees:

The heads of state agencies are encouraged to contact Alicia Ridge, Chief Learning Officer within the Office of Learning and Development at alicia.ridge@hr.ri.gov, to request that their agency be enrolled for online ethics training.  Alicia will send a link to each of the agency’s registered employees so that they may take advantage of this opportunity.

Online Training Registration for Municipal Elected and Appointed Officials and Employees:

Although this course is open to all persons that are subject to the Code of Ethics, access for non-state employees is provided through a different platform.

The process is easy:

1. A request to access the online training should be directed to the Ethics Commission at ethics.email@ethics.ri.gov.
2. The applicant must include his or her name, email address, and official title. 
3. Within 1-2 business days, the applicant should receive an email from our office containing a link that will allow the applicant to access the course. The training has both visual and audio content. This link does not expire.