Whether you realize it or not, if you are an employee of the University of South Florida, your actions are governed by Chapter 112, Part III, Florida Statutes. When the legislature of the State of Florida enacted the Code, it stated that the policy of the State of Florida was that government employees were to be considered agents of the people and that these employees held their positions for the benefit of the people of the State. In law, this had the effect of creating a fiduciary relationship between government employees and the people of the State.
Someone acting as a fiduciary has a duty to act primarily for the benefit of another.
In the case of a government employee, the employee is bound by duty to act for the benefit, and in the best interests, of the people of the State of Florida. The Code impacts individual employees by establishing a standard for conduct as well as sanctions when those standards are violated. These sanctions range from reprimand to termination or removal from office. In some instances, violation of the Code also may give rise to criminal charges. Sanctions under the Code and criminal penalties are not mutually exclusive.