Cornell has established an online and telephone hotline through an agreement with EthicsPoint Inc., giving faculty, staff and students -- as well as those outside the university -- a way to anonymously report such issues as environmental compliance, financial reporting, internal control or financial irregularities.

The hotline is also available for other specific areas: Athletics is using it for reporting NCAA compliance concerns; environmental health and safety and environmental compliance for reporting environmental concerns; and the Weill Cornell Medical College is using it for reporting billing compliance matters.

While it is geared for the Cornell community, it is accessible worldwide, 24 hours a day, for use by anyone. Callers can report and communicate with Cornell via the hotline without identifying themselves.

EthicsPoint will then forward the information -- while protecting the anonymity of the caller -- to a responsible university official for an appropriate response or action.

The dedicated toll-free telephone number is (866) 293-3077. The Web reporting tool is located at https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/en/report_custom.asp?clientid=6357. The hotline, however, is not an emergency response service or a human resources complaint line, nor should it be used to report potential environmental dangers. For human resource matters, employees should speak with their supervisor or human resources representative. Staff members with concerns about a chemical or how it is being stored should talk to a supervisor or environmental health and safety staff.

This reporting mechanism is not the only method to report concerns. Cornell encourages employees to discuss any concerns, preferably with their supervisor; alternatively, the Cornell hotline can be used if the concerns are not addressed or a caller is concerned about possible retaliation.