Ethical Standards and Code of Conduct

Government Investigations

The University cooperates with legally authorized government investigations. If a University employee is approached by a person who identifies him/herself as a government investigator, the employee should immediately contact the Office of General Counsel at 585-7002. The Office of General Counsel will help you follow proper procedures for cooperating with the investigation.

In some cases, government investigators (or individuals presenting themselves as government investigators) may contact employees outside the workplace, during non-work hours or at home. Do not feel pressured to talk with the person under those circumstances without first contacting the Office of General Counsel. Employees have the legal right to contact legal counsel before responding to questions from an investigator. Requests from private attorneys should be shared with your supervisor.

Any employee who receives a subpoena or other written governmental request for University information should contact the Office of General Counsel. Subpoenas are always time sensitive, so it is important to have these reviewed and processed immediately.

University employees must never:

• Destroy or alter any document or record in anticipation of a request for that document or record by a government agency, court, or other individual.
• Make a false or misleading statement to any government investigator, or persuade others to do so.
• Refuse to cooperate with a government investigation.