Reporting Methods

Office of People Relations

You may also choose to file a report, or complaint, with the Office of People Relations. The investigative specialists have training in keeping these reports in the utmost confidence; moreover, the OPR specialist that may be charged to investigate and to recommend disciplinary corrective action are also bound by policy and law to maintain confidentiality.

Confidentiality of the identity of the reporter will be maintained to the extent feasible under the circumstances; absolute anonymity cannot be guaranteed; however, the internal investigation and any subsequent personnel actions taken remain confidential and known only to those who need to know. Additionally, in order to fully and fairly investigate, as well as to provide adequate due process in the event of subsequent employee discipline, the source of a complaint may need to be disclosed or may be able to be ascertained by those interviewed. All persons who become involved in the course of a confidential internal investigation are asked to maintain confidentiality. Any pending criminal investigations are also confidential to the extent feasible.

Equally important to confidentiality to a fair complaint and reporting process is the prohibition of retaliation. All employees are prohibited from retaliating against any individual participating in a complaint reporting process as well as in investigative processes as a result of a complaint.

 

EthicsPoint®

NMSU has selected EthicsPoint® as the confidential reporting system. This is a simple system that provides an alternative method to report a business concern utilizing either the internet or telephone. Access the EthicsPoint® site here for additional information.

 

Reporting Tips

When reporting, regardless of the method used, it’s important to provide as many details as possible such as:

1. What happened?
2. Where did it happen?
3. When did it happen?
4. Who was involved?
5. Were there any witnesses?
6. Who can provide corroborating evidence?
7. Has it been reported to the chain of command? If so, what was the result?

If the concern reported is not a one-time incident, but a general, long-term behavior, provide specific examples to support your claim, so that the investigator can conduct a thorough investigation. If you are not the victim of the reported incident, did you observe it, or was it reported to you by someone else?