UVM has established a robust compliance reporting system made up of several reporting mechanisms, including the Ethics and Compliance Reporting HelpLine (the HelpLine). The HelpLine is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is monitored by a third party and provides reporters with the ability to report anonymously.
New HelpLine Vendor
On January 1st, UVM switched to a new helpline vendor. The services our office provides, and the handling of reports and investigations remain the same.
You still have the ability to submit compliance reports online or through a toll-free phone number; however, the phone number and website have been updated:
Under this new reporting system, you now have the ability to file reports via text messaging. Simply start a text (to 1-802-441-6649) with any greeting, such as “Hi”, “Hello”, or any other word. The system will text back with prompts for you to reply with additional information. That information will then get routed back to UVM just like any other phone or web report.
When you submit your report, you will receive an access code and password. Use that to periodically log back in and check the status of your report. You are still able to decide whether you want to identify yourself or want to remain anonymous. It is important that all reporters continually check the status of their report. If you identify yourself, we can contact you directly if we have any questions. If you file anonymously, the only way we can contact you is through the HelpLine. Therefore, it is imperative that reporters stay active and check their report. If we have questions or need additional information, we will ask you for that through the HelpLine system. In addition, this is how we will communicate the status of investigations to you. Without your continuous and active participation, we may not have all the information we need to do a thorough and complete investigation and you may not ever know the status or that it has been closed.
Reminder of Other Reporting Mechanisms
While the HelpLine vendor is new, all the other reporting mechanisms remain unchanged. For information about all the options for reporting, please go to our Compliance Reporting page at: https://www.uvm.edu/compliance/compliance-reporting.
More Information
For more information, visit the Ethics and Compliance Reporting and HelpLine FAQ at: https://www.uvm.edu/compliance/help_line_faq
Thank you. Working together, we can continually improve our culture of compliance here at UVM.
Tessa Lucey
Director of Compliance Services and Chief Privacy Officer
The University of Vermont
