Rice’s ethics hotline has always given people in the Rice community a way to anonymously report illegal, unethical or improper conduct without fear of backlash. Now faculty, staff, students and visitors can use it to report COVID-19-related infractions, including failure to wear masks and follow social distancing protocols.
EthicsPoint, the vendor behind Rice’s hotline, also continues offering a way to report concerns about financial misconduct, research misconduct, sexual harassment, workplace violence, unsafe work conditions and inappropriate employment practices or actions, said Janet Covington, Rice's director of internal audit. The hotline can also be used to report possible violations of law and accounting, auditing or internal control processes, she said.
“You can access EthicsPoint’s website or toll-free number from anywhere, including from your home computer,” Covington said. “You can make a report, or even using the anonymous chat feature. Or you can communicate back and forth through e-messages.”
Faculty and staff are encouraged to voice their concerns directly through personal meetings with a supervisor or another administrator whenever possible and appropriate, Covington said.
“That is usually the best way to resolve an issue, but we recognize there may be circumstances when you are not comfortable reporting the issue in this manner,” she said. “We would rather you report anonymously than keep the information to yourself.”
The Rice community strives to infuse a culture of care, and the hotline is an important part of fostering an ethical environment, said Richard Baker, Rice’s Title IX coordinator and executive director for institutional equity.
“Whether it is with the food we serve in our dining centers or reporting fraud or other forms of conduct, we want everyone to have options so that they can decide what is best for them,” he said. “As a vital part of our compliance program, EthicsPoint provides an anonymous reporting option for those that prefer not revealing their identity but still want to inform the appropriate administrator of possible misconduct.”
The hotline is also one of many resources available to report sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking, as required of faculty and staff under Texas law (unless they are confidential employees, such as member of the campus clergy, a licensed counselor at the Rice Counseling Center or medical personnel. Questions about confidential employees should be director to Baker at richard.a.baker@rice.edu.) More information is available at https://safe.rice.edu/.
“The hotline is an important part of the fabric of our culture of care," said Ken Liddle, Rice’s chief compliance officer. "We want to know if there are issues, large or small. People can even use the hotline to ask questions or get more information about our policies.”
To contact EthicsPoint online, visit www.rice.edu/ethics. The website includes frequently asked questions and a link to Rice policies.
To contact EthicsPoint by phone, call 1-866-294-4633. Operators can take reports in English or Spanish, and arrangements can be made to take reports in other languages.
More information on ways to report concerns is available in Rice’s Standards of Ethical Conduct, which are available at https://policy.rice.edu/code. Rice’s Whistleblower Protection and Nonretaliation Policy is available at https://policy.rice.edu/813. Rice’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct for Faculty, Staff and Students is available at https://policy.rice.edu/828.
If you have additional questions about reporting concerns about workplace conduct, contact Covington at 713-348-6312.