Other ways to report concerns at Cornell University
Other ways to report concerns at Cornell University
Executive officers, faculty, staff, student employees, and other acting on behalf of the university are expected to maintain the highest ethical standard, 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.
Multiple avenues are available to report suspected or actual wrongful conduct, depending on your level of comfort. Find reporting options listed below. Regardless of which method you choose to use, it is important to speak up when you see wrongdoing or have concerns that someone has violated the law or university policies. You can also email any questions to University Compliance Office.
- Reporting at Cornell University
- Cornell University Police Silent Witness Program
- Government Reporting
- Whistleblower Protection
Reporting at Cornell University
Who do I tell if I have a concern?
- For immediate help, the Cornell University Police
- Your immediate supervisor or manager
Who do I contact if it is not appropriate to report a concern to my immediate supervisor?
- Unit director, department chair or dean of your school
- For financial misconduct concerns, the University Controller
- For violations of university policies, Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, the University Audit Executive, or University Counsel
- For employment-related matters, the Vice President for Human Resources or General Counsel
- For faculty-specific concerns, the appropriate dean or the Dean of Faculty
- For research misconduct, the appropriate dean, Weill Cornell Medicine's (WCM) Senior Associate Dean of Research or the Vice President for Research and Innovation
- For animal welfare, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) office or Center for Animal Resources and Education (CARE)
- For safety and environmental concerns, the Senior Director of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS)
- For equity or nondiscrimination concerns (including sexual harassment), the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX
- For bias concerns related to diversity and inclusion, the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX or the Bias Reporting Form
- For Cornell University's Athletics concerns (including NCAA compliance), the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance and Student Services, the appropriate Associate Athletic Director or the Athletic Director
- For data security concerns, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
- For privacy concerns, the Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer or Director of University Compliance and Policy
- For any alleged sexual misconduct that involves a student, the Title IX coordinator, the Dean of Undergraduate Education, the Dean of Graduate Education or the Cornell Health Counseling Center
- For any potential violation of the Campus Code of Conduct, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
- For any alleged misconduct involving a child or youth, in person or online, the Children and Youth Safety Program Administrator
- To confidentially discuss any problems or issues, the Office of the University Ombudsman
- For any concern, the Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, the University Audit Executive, or General Counsel
- To report any concern anonymously, the Cornell Ethics and Compliance Hotline (Cornell Hotline)
Cornell University Police Silent Witness Program
If 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, 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. Reports and triaged are reviewed regularly but are not an emergency response service.
Government Reporting
You may also report concerns related to government grants or contracts directly to the government.
- NSF 1-800-428-2189 or National Science Foundation (NSF) - Fraud Hotline
- DOD 1-800-424-9098 or U.S. Department of Defense - DoD Hotline
- HHS (including NIH) 1-800-HHS-TIPS or U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office of Inspector General
- U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) 1-800-421-3481 or Office for Civil Rights - Complaint Assessment System
- For the State of New York reporting of fraud involving taxpayer money 1-888-672-4555 Office of the Comptroller
Whistleblower Protection
The University prohibits retaliation in any form against a person for reporting in good faith. Further, it is expected that all personnel will 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.