Document Number:
HMRS-0060
Policy Owner:
Human Resources
Revision #:
v1.0
Status:
Approved

General Description

Policy Summary:

Trinity University is committed to operating with integrity in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The University expects the highest standards of ethical conduct from its community members. Trinity expects University community members to inform the appropriate parties if they have observed wrongful or unlawful activity. 

Trinity prohibits retaliation against anyone, whether on or off campus, who reports or inquires in good faith about what they believe to be wrongful or unlawful activities or is part of an investigation related to such activities. This policy safeguards the rights of all members of the University community, including faculty, staff, students, visitors, contractors, and volunteers.

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to encourage the community to report any activities they genuinely believe to be wrongful or unlawful. The University is committed to upholding integrity and equality and expects its members to act legally, honestly, and ethically. 

Scope:

This policy applies to all faculty, staff, students, visitors, contractors and volunteers.

Exceptions:

There are no exceptions. 

Responsible Department:

  • Human Resources

Policy Content

Trinity University is committed to operating with integrity in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The University expects the highest standards of ethical conduct from members of its community. The University expects members of the Trinity community to report compliance concerns. Those with concerns of any kind , including (a) noncompliancewith federal, state, or local laws and regulations, (b) noncompliance with University policies, or (c) errors or irregularities in Trinity’s financial accounting practices or policies are expected to report these concerns promptly. Members of the Trinity community are prohibited from retaliating against any person or a relative of such a person who is an employee or student affiliated with the University who files a compliance report, cooperates with a compliance investigation, or seeks guidance on compliance concerns in good faith. The University strictly prohibits any form of retaliation for reporting or inquiring about alleged improper activity, wrongful activity, or unlawful activity. This includes employees, visitors, contractors, and volunteers.  No member of the University should face retaliation for refusing to engage in wrongful or unlawful activities. Retaliatory actions can encompass various behaviors, such as discrimination, harassment, abuse, fraud, unethical business practices, academic misconduct, research misconduct, endangering others, claims filed against an individual, violations of University policies or procedures, or any lawful local, state, or federal law violations.  


To report any potential retaliatory issues, individuals should contact the appropriate authorities:

Employees and Volunteers:  Report issues to your immediate supervisor after the violation occurs. The matter can be escalated to involve Human Resources (humanresources@trinity.edu) and/or the Title IX Coordinator (eos@trinity.edu) for an investigation. Additional guidance is available in the "Employee, Discipline, and Concerns Policy" and the "Conduct and Job Performance Guidelines" for staff.

Students:  Report issues to the Dean of Students office (dos@trinity.edu) after the violation occurs. If the issue involves faculty or staff, Human Resources (humanresources@trinity.edu) and/or the Title IX Coordinator (eos@trinity.edu) will be involved as needed.

Visitors:  Report issues to the group you are involved with at the time of the violation. The matter can be escalated for an investigation as necessary.

Contractors:  Report issues to the direct report of the individual who brought you on campus. Human Resources will be involved if the issue concerns faculty or staff members.

Complaints of retaliation can be made anonymously through the Whistleblower Hotline at 1-866-943-5787 or brought to the attention of the Human Resources office.

Individuals found to have engaged in retaliation, as defined below, may face disciplinary actions, including termination of employment or academic dismissal.

Terms & Definitions

Terms and Definitions:

Term:

Definition:
In good faith  Acting with an honest belief that wrongful or unlawful activity may have occurred.
Materially adverse
Sufficiently harmful to discourage a reasonable person from engaging in protected activities. 
 
Protected activities Include reporting (internally or externally) or inquiring in good faith about suspected wrongful or unlawful activity, assisting others in making such a report, or participating in an investigation or proceeding related to suspected wrongful or unlawful activity.
Retaliation Any action, statement, or behavior, directly or through others, intended to discourage a reasonable person from engaging in protected activities or taken as retribution for engaging in protected activities. Retaliation can take many forms.  An action in response to a protected activity is not retaliatory unless it would not have occurred in the absence of the protected activity and has a materially adverse effect on the individual. 
Wrongful or unlawful activity Any activity of a Trinity community member that violates the law, University policy, or professional standards of conduct, including the laws, policies, and standards. This includes activities the reporter perceives as unethical, illegal, or suspicious.  

Revision Management

Revision History Log:

Revision #:

Date:

Recorded By:
v1.0 11/17/2023 1:17 PM Pamela Mota

 

Vice President Approval:

Name:

Title:
Erika Robinson General Counsel