Whistleblower Reporting
The University encourages whistleblower reporting of improper governmental activities.
The University encourages anyone with information about an Improper Governmental Activity involving the University to report this information for review and investigation.
What is an "improper governmental activity"?
"Improper governmental activity" means:
an activity by a state agency or by an employee that is undertaken in the performance of the employee’s duties, undertaken inside a state office, or, if undertaken outside a state office by the employee, directly relates to state government, whether or not that activity is within the scope of his or her employment, and that:
- is in violation of any state or federal law or regulation, including, but not limited to, corruption, malfeasance, bribery, theft of government property, fraudulent claims, fraud, coercion, conversion, malicious prosecution, misuse of government property, or willful omission to perform duty, or
- is in violation of an Executive order of the Governor, a California Rule of Court, or any policy or procedure mandated by the State Administrative Manual or State Contracting Manual, or
- is economically wasteful, involves gross misconduct, incompetency, or inefficiency.
You can report improper activities that you have knowledge of through the UC Whistleblower Hotline.
If you are encountering an issue that is not related to improper governmental activities, there are other reporting and support options available to you on campus. Please see the Report a Concern page for more information.
If you are experiencing an emergency or an imminent threat to health or safety, call 911.
What to know about whistleblower reporting:
The whistleblower hotline is available 24/7 and is independently operated.
The University has contracted with an independent, outside provider who collects and forwards reports. The hotline is available 24/7 and can accept reports in a number of languages.
Anyone can file a whistleblower report.
The whistleblower hotline can accept reports from employees, students, patients, vendors, contractors, and the general public. The hotline is the appropriate venue for reporting improper governmental activities that directly involve the University, as either the victim or the perpetrator (via the action of a University employee).
There are protections for whistleblowers against retaliation.
The University has a Whistleblower Protection Policy that protects those who file good-faith whistleblower reports from retaliation.
Retaliation complaints can be filed through the whistleblower hotline. If you prefer, you can also speak to your supervisor, who will refer the report to the Locally Designated Official.
You can remain anonymous in your report.
You can choose to make a report anonymously through the whistleblower hotline but must provide sufficient corroborating evidence to justify the commencement of an investigation
Your identity will be protected within the legitimate needs of the investigation and the law. If you self-disclose your identity outside of your report, the University will no longer be obligated to limit disclosure of your identity.
Supervisors have reporting obligations.
If you are a supervisor and you receive a report from an employee regarding any of the following (or you yourself observe such activities):
- improper governmental activities
- serious violations of University policy
- prohibited conduct such as sexual harassment or protected class discrimination
- retaliation
- abusive conduct in the workplace
you must report this information, either to your own supervisor or by making a report yourself through the whistleblower hotline, reporting to OPHD (protected class harassment or discrimination), or the Abusive Conduct reporting tool. If you are unsure about the appropriate office to report to, you may use the whistleblower hotline.
We also encourage supervisors to print and post the UC whistleblower hotline poster and the California State Auditor whistleblower poster in a prominent place in your work environment.
All reports received through the hotline are assessed at the direction of UC San Diego's Locally Designated Official.
The Locally Designated Official oversees the review process for all matters received through the hotline and assesses whether the issues raised may constitute an Improper Governmental Activity.
At the direction of the LDO, the Office of Ethics & Compliance also determines whether an allegation should be looked into by the Office of Ethics & Compliance (OEC) or referred out to another office for review or investigation.
If a concern or complaint does not meet the criteria for investigation, the matter may still be informally reviewed by the Office of Ethics & Compliance or referred to another department for review and action.
Further Questions?
Do you have further questions about whistleblower reporting policies, what happens to reports, or looking for more guidance on what to do as a supervisor, reporter, or the subject of a whistleblower report? Find more information in the UC Whistleblower FAQs.
File a Whistleblower or Retaliation Report
UC employees, students, vendors, patients, and members of the general public can all file whistleblower or whistleblower retaliation reports. The university has established a systemwide, independently-operated whistleblower hotline to receive reports. The hotline allows for anonymous reporting and is capable of receiving reports in a number of different languages. You can make a report on the hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Whistleblower Policies and Procedures
Learn more about whistleblower policies and whistleblower protection: