Fraud is an illegal act, the concealment of the act and receipt of benefits (generally in the form of financial gain) from that act. Further, all types of organizations are susceptible to fraud - even colleges and universities. Fraudulent acts include but are not limited to the following:
- making or altering documents or computer files with the intent to defraud
- purposefully inaccurate financial reporting
- misappropriation or misuse of University resources, such as funds, supplies or other assets
- improper handling or reporting of cash transactions
- authorizing or receiving compensation for goods not received or services not performed
Quoting Ohio University Policy 03.006, "Ohio University expects all of its employees, faculty, administrators, classified, and bargaining unit members to be honest and ethical in their conduct, comply with applicable government laws, policies, and regulations, deal fairly with other employees, students, customers, volunteers, and business associates, and protect and ensure the proper use of University assets."
Ohio University encourages "good faith" disclosures of University-related misconduct. "Good Faith" means disclosure of misconduct made with a belief in the truth of the disclosure that a reasonable person in the whistle-blower's situation could have believed based upon the facts. A disclosure is not in good faith if made with reckless disregard for -- or willful ignorance of -- facts that would disprove the disclosure.
Report Fraud
OHIO has shown its commitment to promoting a culture of ethics and integrity by contracting with EthicsPoint®, a third party provider located in Portland, Oregon, to manage the OHIO Ethics Hotline.
We encourage employees to report concerns through normal lines of communication. However, when employees are uncomfortable using these methods, the Ethics Hotline offers an alternative for filing legitimate concerns in an anonymous manner.
While investigations are performed in a highly confidential manner, it should be noted that records generated in the course of an investigation may be subject to disclosure in accordance with applicable law, including Ohio's Public Records Act.
If you have a concern about possible fraud, waste, abuse of University assets, or other compliance or regulatory issue, we encourage you to file a report through the Ethics Hotline by submitting a report on the EthicsPoint® site from any computer or mobile device, or by calling EthicsPoint® toll-free at 1-866-294-9591. Reports may be submitted anonymously.
For more information please go to OHIO's Ethics Point site .