The Compliance and Ethics Program
Understand the purpose of a corporate compliance and ethics program and clarify the responsibilities held by management, the organization, and the board.
Directorship Essentials: Compliance and Ethics
Your Schedule | Online
About the Course
Credits: 3 NACD Credits
Directorship Essentials: Compliance and Ethics is a self-paced online course that helps directors evaluate whether an organization’s compliance program works in practice. Across seven focused sections, faculty commentary, and a director scenario, participants examine reporting systems, board access, program resources, third-party exposure, investigations, and how misconduct is addressed.
Effective compliance oversight can reduce legal, reputational, and operational risk while reinforcing ethical culture. Directors will learn what to look for in hotline reporting, incentives, discipline, executive conduct, and board accountability so they can ask stronger questions and assess whether the program is properly designed, supported, and trusted.
The Results of the Course
Directorship Essentials: Compliance and Ethics
Corporate Members: Complimentary | Individual Members: $199 | Nonmembers: $495
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Identify examples of a director’s appropriate role in an organization’s compliance and ethics program.
- Distinguish between poor and leading practices for effective oversight of an organization’s compliance and ethics program.
- Identify the typical elements of an effective corporate compliance and ethics program.
- Recall laws and regulations that serve as frameworks for compliance and ethics programs, regardless of industry.
- Identify acts that are considered misconduct by board members and executives.
- Identify risks that emerge for organizations when their compliance and ethics program falters.
At the end of the course, you will be directed to take a short exam based on these learning objectives. A passing score is required to earn NACD credit.
Accreditation
This course earns 3 NACD credits toward NACD Directorship Certification®/Board Leadership Fellowship.
What the Course Includes
Plan for approximately two to three hours of self-paced learning. You can pause at any time and return to the point where you stopped.
Each section includes commentary from experienced directors and compliance experts, a scenario following a new director through her first year on a board, reflection and benchmarking prompts, and links to supporting governance tools and resources.
The course focuses on compliance and ethics oversight within for-profit corporations, but most principles also apply to nonprofit organizations and other enterprises.
The 7 Course Sections
The course examines seven core areas of board compliance and ethics oversight, from legal responsibilities and reporting systems to ethical culture, third-party exposure, and individual director accountability.
Federal Sentencing Guidelines
Examine how the Federal Sentencing Guidelines shape expectations for effective compliance programs, board oversight, accountability, and organizational response.
Standards, Codes, and Reporting Tools
Assess the code of conduct, confidential hotline, and reporting systems that help employees seek guidance and raise concerns. Consider what the board should know about awareness, access, trust, escalation, and follow-through.
Effective Board Oversight Practices
Identify the reporting, access, resources, testing, and accountability directors should expect from management and the compliance function.
Compliance Risk and Program Effectiveness
Evaluate whether the program addresses reputational exposure, third-party risk, organizational misconduct, and misconduct involving executives or directors.
Ethical Culture and Speak-Up Readiness
Examine how leadership behavior, executive incentives, disciplinary decisions, and employee reporting influence culture and tone at the top.
The Individual Director’s Duty
Clarify how each director’s conduct, questions, decisions, and follow-through contribute to the organization’s compliance and ethics performance.
On-Demand Learning for Stronger Compliance Oversight
Strengthen the Oversight Behind Ethical Conduct
Build a clearer view of what an effective compliance program requires, how the board should assess it, and where weak reporting or accountability can expose the organization.
Payment & Cancellation Policy
NACD accepts Visa, Mastercard®, and American Express®. Checks, payable to NACD, must be received before the User can begin the course. NACD will refund the fees paid by User for the course(s) only if (1) there is a material defect or technical problem causing a prolonged delay in completion of the course(s) and (2) NACD is unable to rectify such material defect or technical problem within ten (10) business days after receipt of such notification. Notifications and written refund requests should be submitted by electronic mail to Registration@NACDonline.org.
Review the virtual learning FAQs for information about course access, completion, and credit.
Final Days to Save $1,000 on NACD Directors Summit® 2026 Registration
Register by Monday, August 31 to take advantage of this exclusive discounted pricing.
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| NACD and the NACD Chapter Network organizations (NACD) are non-partisan, nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing directors with the opportunity to discuss timely governance oversight practices. The views of the speakers and audience are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of NACD. |