Using the Fraud, Waste, & Abuse Hotline
Please Consider the Following When Using This Hotline
Each member of our community has a responsibility to follow university policies and procedures, adhere to applicable laws and regulations, and speak up when we see or suspect misconduct. If you have concerns about possible unethical behavior or noncompliance with state or federal laws and/or policies, we encourage you to speak to your supervisor, director, department chair or other personnel to solicit their support and help.
The Office of Internal Audits will triage all reports received through this hotline and may forward requests to other appropriate offices for disposition.
When reporting known or suspected misconduct, you do not have to provide your name or contact information; however, having this information may assist us in following up on your concern. We will strive to keep all information submitted confidential to the greatest extent possible; however, due to the nature of the concern reported, the source may be obvious to those who are questioned and/or investigated. Nonetheless, NCGS Chapter 126, Article 14 provides protection to employees for reporting improper government activities.
This hotline reporting system is not a 911 or emergency service. If you require immediate assistance, please contact your local authorities.
What to Report
The following are examples of acts that should be reported whether known or suspected. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive.
Fraud
- Theft or misappropriation of funds, supplies, property, or other University resources
- Misuse of University property or resources
- Forgery or alteration of documents
- Unauthorized alteration or manipulation of computer files
- Falsification of reports to management or external agencies
- Authorizing or receiving compensation for hours not worked
- Gifts, bribes, and kickbacks
Waste
- Excessive or unnecessary purchases, e.g., supplies or equipment purchased that are not used in a timely fashion
- Unnecessary spending at fiscal year-end to avoid reversion of funds
- Wasteful or unnecessary use of University resources, e.g., extravagant travel or entertainment expenses
Abuse
- Pursuit of a benefit or advantage in violation of the University's Conflict of Interest policy
- Distribution of time and effort between obligations to University employment and
- participation in other activities outside of University employment which might create a
- conflict of commitment per University policy
- Using University equipment for personal gain
- Directing subordinates to do work that is not related to University work, e.g., requiring subordinates to do personal tasks
Privacy Statement
The following privacy statement discloses information gathering policies regarding the Appalachian State University Office of Internal Audits in its use of the domain internalaudits.appstate.edu.
Terminology
Personally Identifiable Information: Information that may identify a user as a unique person. Such information includes name, full address, Social Security number, and financial information such as credit card numbers.
Passive Information Collection: Information collected from a user without their knowledge.
Active Information Collection: Information collected from a user with their permission, either explicit or implied.
What Personally Identifiable Information is Collected
Passive Information Collection: IP addresses are automatically logged by our server software. IP addresses may or may not be considered Personally Identifiable Information, depending on the practices of the user’s ISP. On the Appalachian campus, many IP addresses are permanently assigned, enabling the physical location of the computer used to access the website to be identified.
Active Information Collection: This website automatically logs all information submitted through forms, along with the date of entry and the IP address of the computer from which the form was submitted.
Cookies: Cookies are used on this website to remember a visitor's browser features.
Use and Handling of Personally Identifiable Information
IP addresses are used to compile aggregate website activity statistics (eg, aggregate pageviews, hits, referrals, etc.).
All Personally Identifiable Information will be used in the context in which it is submitted and to complete the requested service initiated by the user. Unless otherwise specified, entry of some Personally Identifiable Information - such as email addresses, mailing addresses, and telephone numbers - will make the user eligible to be contacted by the Appalachian State University Office of Internal Audits.
All Personally Identifiable Information is stored in a secure environment, with access restricted to authorized representatives of the Appalachian State University Office of Internal Audits.
Personally Identifiable Information is not sold, shared, or otherwise distributed to parties other than the Appalachian State University Office of Internal Audits, except in those cases where distribution of this information is necessary to complete the requested service as initiated by the user.
The Appalachian State University Office of Internal Audits hereby disclaims any knowledge of the information-gathering policies of outside websites to which this website may be linked. For information-gathering policies of external websites, please refer to the privacy statement for the domain in question.
If any user has questions or concerns related to this Privacy Statement, that user is encouraged to contact the Appalachian State University Office of Internal Audits by telephone at (828) 262 2281.