All employees of Ball State University and other members of the University community are expected to comply with all federal and state laws and regulations as well as University policies, and they are also expected to report to the University any violations of such laws, regulations or policies and other University related misconduct they witness or have good reason to believe occurred.
The University has existing policies and procedures for disclosing certain types of violations and misconduct. They include, but are not limited to, the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy, the Sexual Harassment and Anti-harassment Policies, the Policy on Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment, and the Policy on Protection of Human Subjects in Research. These policies should be used to report any suspected violations and misconduct covered by the policies.
Other suspected violations and misconduct should be reported to the University office responsible for the policy area or, alternatively, to the Director of Institutional Equity and Internal Investigations. Reports can also be made either by phone using the EthicsPoint dedicated toll-free hotline for Ball State University at 1-844-338-7290, or through the EthicsPoint Internet-based reporting system at: http://www.bsu.edu/ethicspoint. Access to the EthicsPoint Hotline Reporting is available 24/7/365 days of the year.
Any individual making such a report must have a good faith belief that a violation or misconduct may have occurred. An employee who the University determines has knowingly filed a false report or furnished false information may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Retaliation will not be tolerated against anyone who (i) in good faith reports a suspected violation of a federal or state law or regulation, University policy or other University-related misconduct, or (ii) provides testimony or other evidence or otherwise assists in the University’s investigation of such a report. Any individual who has been threatened with or subjected to an adverse employment or academic action based on his or her good faith report of such an alleged violation or misconduct, or on his or her participation in the investigation of such a report, may file a complaint of retaliation with the Director of Institutional Equity and Internal Investigations. An employee who the University determines has engaged in retaliation against an individual based on the individual’s good faith report of such an alleged violation or misconduct may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
This policy supplements the existing Indiana statute, Indiana Code §21-39-3, which protects University employees against retaliation for making a good faith report of a violation of a federal or state law or regulation or the misuse of public resources.
Approved by the Ball State University Board of Trustees May 2, 2014
Revised Dec. 12, 2014 and July 1, 2015