Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions at IIT

Certified Records Managers should maintain high professional standards of conduct in the performance of their duties. The Code of Ethics is provided as a guide to professional conduct.

1. Certified Records Managers have a professional responsibility to conduct themselves so that their good faith and integrity shall not be open to question. They will promote the highest possible records management standards.
2. Certified Records Managers shall conform to existing laws and regulations covering the creation, maintenance, and disposition of recorded information, and shall never knowingly be parties to any illegal or improper activities relative thereto.
3. Certified Records Managers shall be prudent in the use of information acquired in the course of their duties. They should protect confidential, proprietary and trade secret information obtained from others and use it only for the purposes approved by the party from whom it was obtained or for the benefit of that party, and not for the personal gain of anyone else.
4. Certified Records Managers shall not accept gifts or gratuities from clients, business associates, or suppliers as inducements to influence any procurements or decisions they may make.
5. Certified Records Managers shall use all reasonable care to obtain factual evidence to support their opinion.
6. Certified Records Managers shall strive for continuing proficiency and effectiveness in their profession and shall contribute to further research, development, and education. It is their professional responsibility to encourage those interested in records management and offer assistance whenever possible to those who enter the profession and to those already in the profession.

Ethics Review Procedure

If it is felt that a Certified Records Manager (CRM) has violated the Code of Ethics of the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM), a letter stating such must be sent to the President of the ICRM, 318 Oak Street, Syracuse, NY 13203, U. S. A. This letter must identify the CRM, state the nature of the ethics violation charge and request that the ICRM investigate the matter. The person(s) making the charge must identify themselves. The ICRM will keep the identification of the person(s) making the charge confidential.
Upon receipt of this letter, the President of the ICRM will establish an ad hoc Ethics Committee and identify three individuals to serve on it, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents. No current member of the Board may serve on this ad hoc committee.
This Committee will be provided the letter requesting the review. The Committee will contact the person(s) making the accusation and obtain from them all available information on the issue. The Committee will also contact all involved parties, including the accused CRM to obtain any additional facts.
The Committee will consider the information gathered and reach a ruling for the Board. The ruling must reflect a unanimous vote of the Ethics Committee, repudiating or substantiating the ethics violation charge(s).
If a CRM has been cleared of the charges, a letter stating such shall be sent to all people contacted during the investigation.
If the Committee is unable to reach a unanimous decision concerning the charges, a second committee consisting of three non-Board CRMs will be formed to consider the case. They will operate in the same manner as the first committee. If the second committee cannot reach a decision, then all charges will be dropped against the CRM. A letter stating such will be sent to all people contacted during the investigation.
If the CRM has been found to be in violation of the Code of Ethics of the ICRM, then that individual shall be notified by the Secretary of the ICRM that they can no longer use the CRM designation. The CRM will not be eligible to apply for membership in the ICRM for a minimum of 5 years, at which time they must submit an application, be accepted to sit for the exam based on the qualifications in force at that time, take and pass all parts of the examination prior to regaining the status of CRM.
All Ethics Committee proceedings are confidential. No information on the case, either factual or non-factual, will be presented to the Board. The ruling of the Ethics Committee will be final. The Committee will seal the file after all business has been completed. The sealed file will be placed in the archives of the ICRM and confidentially destroyed after 10 years.