Policy Statement

Milwaukee School of Engineering (the “University”) is committed to providing all students, faculty, staff, alumni, vendors and guests, with a safe and productive environment. If any member of the University community has reason to believe or reasonably suspect that the University or any of its agents is acting contrary to any applicable federal, state or local laws or regulations, or contrary to any established University policy, that person may report such action or activity without fear of reprisal or retaliation. MSOE established a service with Ethical Advocate for our employees to anonymously report incidents.

Policy Procedure

Any University employee with reasonable suspicion of illegal or improper activity should notify his/her immediate supervisor. If the complaint involves the immediate supervisor, the employee should contact his/her Vice President having authority over the employee's area. In lieu of or in addition to notification of supervisory personnel, any University employee with such a complaint may submit a report to MSOE’s third-party reporting service at https://msoe.ethicaladvocate.com.

Any University student with reasonable suspicion of illegal or improper activity should notify the Director of Human Resources and/or the Dean of Students.

Any vendor, guest or alumnus of the University, or any other interested person with reasonable suspicion of illegal or improper activity should submit a report to MSOE’s third-party reporting service at https://msoe.ethicaladvocate.com.

After notification of alleged illegal or improper activity, the University’s Chairman of the Board of Regents Audit/Finance Committee and the Director of Human Resources (provided that the HR Department is not identified in the report) will conduct a thorough investigation and recommend appropriate action to the University President or the Chairman of the Board of Regents depending on the nature of the complaint.

If retaliation resulting from any notification occurs, such act shall be considered a serious violation of University policy and will be dealt with accordingly. Encouraging others to retaliate is also a violation of this policy. Those who file fraudulent or bad faith complaints pursuant to this policy will be subject to disciplinary and/or legal action as well.

Notifications received by the Chairman of the Board of Regents Audit/Finance Committee and the Director of Human Resources will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation. The University encourages anyone reporting a concern to identify themselves in order to facilitate the investigation. However, notifications may be submitted anonymously.

Reason for Policy

MSOE requires officers, employees, board members, and other volunteers to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. Employees and representatives of the University must practice honesty and integrity in fulfilling their responsibilities and comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

The objectives of the MSOE Whistle Blower Policy are to establish policies and procedures for:

• The submission of concerns regarding questionable accounting, internal controls, or audit matters by officers, employees, and other stakeholders of the University.
• The receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints received by the University regarding accounting, internal controls, and audit matters.
• The protection of employees, officers, and other stakeholders of the University reporting concerns from retaliatory actions.

Contacts

History

• Amended: September 2024, by the Board of Regents Audit/Finance Committee
• Effective: October 2011, by the Board of Regents Audit/Finance Committee