I.
If an employee suspects or observes wrongdoing
or fraudulent activity as described in the Fraud Awareness and Whistleblower
Protection Policy, the employee is to contact a College Ethics Officer or submit
the allegations via the Online Reporting Center - www.lighthouse-services.com/kaskaskia. Individuals
are encouraged to share their names when reporting a breach; however, anonymity
remains an option when submitting via the Online Reporting Center. Identification of the person reporting the
concern provides the opportunity for follow up which will aid the
investigation. Anonymous reports will be
reviewed to the extent possible given the information provided. The College will do its best to protect an
individual’s identity when a concern is raised unless otherwise required by
law, College policy, or a legitimate need of the investigation.
II.
Upon receipt of a report of wrongdoing or
fraudulent activity, an Ethics Officer will initiate an internal
investigation. The employee is
encouraged to discuss confidentiality requirements, if any, with the Ethics
Officer. The employee may be asked to cooperate
with related investigations performed by the College, oversight groups, and/or
law enforcement officials. Investigators
may request the assistance of other employees. Appropriate consultation with union
representatives will occur as necessary or required by College policy, contract,
or regulation.
III.
The Ethics Officer receiving the report is
responsible for ensuring a thorough investigation is completed in a timely
manner. The Officer may elect to conduct
the investigation or secure appropriate resources to handle the research depending
on the situation. The Officer is also
responsible for ensuring corrective action is taken and discussing resolution
with the individual who brought forward the concern, to the extent possible.
IV. If a
complaint involves an Ethics Officer, wrongdoing will be reported to the alternative
Ethics Officer. If that position is
unfilled for any reason, the activity will be reported to the College
President. In the event a complaint of
wrongdoing involves the President of the College, an Ethics Officer will
immediately notify the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Additionally, upon receipt of a complaint
involving a Board of Trustees member, the President will bring the complaint to
the attention of the entire Board of Trustees.
V.
An employee who suspects retaliation has
resulted from reporting an activity or participating in an investigation is to
immediately contact his supervisor. If
the employee is not comfortable discussing with the supervisor or is not
satisfied with the supervisor’s explanation, the concerns are to be discussed with
an Ethics Officer. Complaints of retaliation will be investigated and appropriate
corrective measures will be taken when allegations of retaliation are
substantiated. This protection from
retaliation does not prohibit management from taking action in the normal scope
of their duties.
VI. Reporting
Resources
A.
Ethics Officers:
1. Judy
Hemker, Vice-President of Administrative Services / CFO
(618)
545-3105
jhemker@kaskaskia.edu
2. Jill Hercules, Human Resources Director
(618)
545-3018
jhercules@kaskaskia.edu
B.
Online Reporting Center (anonymous if name is
omitted):
www.lighthouse-services.com/kaskaskia
Replaces Fraud Awareness and Whistleblower Protection Procedure 4.01 approved July 24, 2017.