Concern Reporting at Cornell

Cornell University is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all members of our community. We take seriously our responsibility to provide an environment where individuals feel secure, respected, and empowered to pursue their academic and professional goals. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to report any concerns related to safety, misconduct, or other issues that may impact our community.

To support this commitment, several reporting options allowing the reporter to choose a method that best aligns with their comfort level and type of concern are available below. For questions about reporting, contact the University Compliance Office.

Report a Concern

Topic	Contact
Immediate help	Emergency: Call 911 Non-emergency: Division of Public Safety, or call (607) 255-1111
Faculty and staff support	Faculty and Staff Assistance Program
Student support	Cornell Health and additional resources
General concerns	Immediate supervisor or manager
If not appropriate to report to supervisor	Unit director, department chair, or appropriate dean

Explore other reporting options below:

Other Ways to Report an Incident or Concern

Topic	Relevant Office(s)
Financial misconduct	University Controller or University Audit Executive
Violations of university policies	Responsible Office or Responsible Executive of specific University Policy; or University Compliance, University Audit, or General Counsel
Employment-related matters	Human Resources or General Counsel
Enrollment-related concerns	Office of Enrollment Compliance and Design
Faculty-specific concerns	Dean of Faculty or appropriate dean
Research misconduct	Office Research and Integrity and Assurance or appropriate dean
Animal welfare	Office Research and Integrity and Assurance (ORIA) or Center for Animal Resources and Education (CARE) resources and tools
Safety and environmental concerns	Environment, Health and Safety (EHS)
Bias, Discrimination and/or Harassment (including Sexual Harassment)	Cornell Office of Civil Rights and related Reporting Form
Athletics concerns (incl. NCAA compliance)	Athletics Compliance Office
Data security (breach, hack, phish, etc.)	IT Security Office
Privacy concerns	University Privacy
Campus Code of Conduct violations	Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
Misconduct involving a child or youth	Children and Youth Safety at Cornell
Confidential discussion	Office of the University Ombuds
Any concern	University Compliance, University Audit, or General Counsel
Anonymous and confidential reporting	Cornell Ethics and Compliance Hotline

Cornell University Police Silent Witness Program

Suppose you witnessed a crime or suspicious activity on or adjacent to the Cornell University campus that you want to confidentially report and that is not an emergency. In that case, Cornell Police offers confidential non-emergency crime or suspicious activity reporting online through the Silent Witness Program. This is through a third party, Ethics Point (NAVEX), who will receive your report and triage it to the Cornell Police. You can submit a Silent Witness online form or call toll-free: 1-866-293-3077.

Government Reporting

You may also report concerns related to government grants or contracts directly to the government.

Federal Agency	Reporting Resource(s)
Department of Defense (DOD)	Inspector General Hotline: 1-800-424-9098, or DoD Hotline
Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR)	1-800-421-3481, or Office for Civil Rights - Complaint Assessment System
Department of Health and Human Services (including NIH)	Inspector General Hotline: 1-800-HHS-TIPS, or Office of Inspector General
National Science Foundation (NSF)	Anonymous Hotline: 1-800-428-2189, or Fraud Hotline
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)	Call Your Local OSHA Office or 800-321-6742, or File a Complaint
State of New York (reporting of fraud involving taxpayer money)	Inspector General Hotline: 1-888-672-4555, or Office of the Comptroller

Whistleblower Protection

Cornell University prohibits retaliation in any form against a person for reporting in good faith. Further, all personnel are expected to cooperate fully with any investigation by the university or law enforcement. The university will take all appropriate and necessary action to deal with a violation of this policy. See University Policy 4.17, Whistleblower Protection.

Executive officers, faculty, staff, student employees, and others acting on behalf of the university are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards, observing applicable policies, practices, regulations, laws, and professional standards. Review Cornell’s Statement of Ethical Conduct on the Cornell Ethics and Compliance Hotline website for more details.