Approval Authority: | BOARD OF TRUSTEES | Responsible Executive:
| CHAIR OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES | Responsible Office: | Secretary to the Board | Effective Date:
| June 1, 2007 |
Revisions/Updates:
1. Policy Statement
Compliance with applicable laws, governmental regulations, and Institute policies are necessary to ensure the Institute operates within an environment of fair and ethical practices. It is the responsibility of trustees, officers, faculty, staff and employed students (collectively Stevens Community or Community) to report instances of non-compliance or suspected non-compliance with laws, governmental regulations and Institute policies to the appropriate Institute authority or Public Body (noted in Section 5 of this Policy). It is the Institute’s responsibility to protect those individuals that make such reports from retaliatory action as a result of such reporting.
2. Reason/Purpose for Policy
It is the intent of the Institute to adhere to all laws, governmental regulations and Institute policies that apply to the organization and the underlying purpose of this policy is to support the organization’s goal of compliance.
Specifically, this policy is designed to assist the Institute in its efforts to comply with its obligations under New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act.(CEPA)
(N.J.S.A. 34:19-1)
3. Policy Scope:
This policy applies to:
a. All Trustees of the Institute,
b. Individuals who are employed by the Institute, whether full or part-time, including officers, faculty, staff, and students, and
c. Consultants, vendors, and contractors when they are doing business with, or for, the Institute as required by contract.
4. Related Documents:
Code of Ethics
Conflict of Interest Policy
5. Definitions:
Appropriate Institute Authorities
a. Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees
b. Institute Auditor,
c. Person designated by the Institute from time to time pursuant to CEPA as the person to whom employees should make reports of potential wrongdoing (Designated Notice Person), or
d. Supervisor.
“Public Body” means
a. the United States Congress, and State legislature, or any popularly-elected local
governmental body, or any member or employee thereof;
b. any federal, State, or local judiciary, or any member or employee thereof, or any grand or petit jury;
c. any federal, State, or local regulatory, administrative, or public agency or authority, or instrumentality thereof;
d. any federal, State, or local law enforcement agency, prosecutorial office, or police or peace officer;
e. any federal, State or local department of an executive branch of government; or
f. any division, board, bureau, office, committee or commission of any of the public bodies described in the above paragraphs of this section.
6. The Policy
If any member of the Community becomes aware that some practice or activity of the Institute, or any of its employees, that such member believes is in violation of law, government regulation or Institute policy, such member must promptly file a written or verbal complaint with the appropriate Institute Authority.
The support of all employees is necessary to achieving compliance with various laws, government regulations and Institute policies. This policy does not, however, authorize the disclosure of confidential Institute information or third-party confidential information except as expressly provided herein, in another Institute policy, in CEPA, or in or as permitted by contractual agreement.
An employee will be protected from retaliatory action for disclosing or reporting activity that the employee believes is unlawful or in violation of a relevant government regulation or Institute policy when the employee brings the alleged unlawful activity, policy, or practice to the attention of one or more of Appropriate Institute Authorities and provides the Institute with a reasonable opportunity to investigate and correct the alleged unlawful or violative activity.
In administering this policy the Institute will adhere to the requirements and practices dictated by CEPA.
7. General Construction
This policy shall apply to each affiliate of the Institute and such affiliate’s respective directors, officers and employees (including student employees) on the same basis it applies to trustees, officers, faculty, staff and student employees of the Institute. |
