Reporting
How to Report
Employees may report concerns directly to Internal Audit. If you are not comfortable discussing your concerns directly with Internal Audit, or wish to remain anonymous, you are encouraged to report through our third-party Fraud & Ethics hotline, hosted by Lighthouse Services. The Fraud & Ethics hotline is a 24-hour confidential and anonymous resource for reporting violations of financial fraud, theft, embezzlement, ethics violations, and waste of university resources.
The information you provide will be sent to Internal Audit by Lighthouse Services. Internal Audit follows up on all reports made through the hotline. Information will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation and in accordance with applicable law.
You may use any of the methods below to submit a report through the hotline:
By WWU's Fraud & Ethics Hotline
By Phone
Toll- Free Telephone:
- English 833-340-0055
- Spanish 800-216-1288
Western is Committed to Integrity, Responsibility and Accountability in all our Work
In alignment with this commitment, Policy U5315.25 Reporting Loss-of University Funds or Property requires all employees to immediately report known or suspected losses to Western's Internal Audit Department. The policy defines a loss as the unauthorized taking of university (public or non-public) funds or property or other illegal activity.
Types of Illegal Activities
May include, but is not limited to:
- Any dishonest or fraudulent act resulting in financial loss to the university.
- Forgery or alteration of records or documents.
- Any misappropriation of funds, securities, supplies, furniture, equipment or other asset.
- Acceptance of kickbacks or bribes.
- Irregularities in the handling or reporting of money transactions.
- Use of university facilities and equipment for private financial gain.
- Participation by personnel in transactions with the university that result in economic gain to themselves, their immediate families, or a business with which they are directly associated.
- Any unauthorized access to or personal use of financial information.
- Any successful computer hacking effort, infiltration of information databases.
- Impersonations leading to the defrauding of university customers.
- Theft, loss or damage to portable computing devices that may contain student records (e.g. FERPA), medical records (e.g. HIPAA) and/or non-public financial records.
If you know, or suspect, that any of these incidents have occurred, or suspect any other potential violations of laws, regulations, or university policies, it is your duty to report it.
Whistleblower Protection
The Washington State Whistleblower Act provides protections to the whistleblower against retaliation if the complainant acts in good faith when reporting improper governmental actions appropriately through the Office of the State Auditor or one of Western’s designees. If you wish to file a complaint under the Washington State Whistleblower program, please follow this link.
If you wish to make an official Washington State Whistleblower report through one of Western's official designees, please refer to the list of designees on this web page.
Other WWU Resources
Western's Fraud & Ethics hotline does not replace existing compliance reporting methods and resolution options for other types of issues such as public safety, violence prevention, human resource, research misconduct, equal opportunity, and intercollegiate athletics. For concerns and complaints related to these issues (that do not involve financial fraud or ethics violations), please contact the appropriate departments directly.
- Public Safety
- Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance
- Human Resources
- Counseling & Wellness Services
- Research Compliance
- Athletics Compliance