Statement of Ethical Conduct

Our Commitment To Integrity And Ethical Conduct

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Statement of Ethical Conduct

• Driven by the University’s mission of teaching, research, and patient care– Sets expectation of highest standards of ethical

conduct– Commits to upholding the reputation of the

University– Encourages compliance with applicable laws,

regulations, and University policies– Does not condone retaliation for any good faith

report of improper activity

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Statement of Ethical Conduct

• Be honest, ethical, truthful• Obey the law• Follow University policies and procedures

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What Is Honesty?

• Honesty is– Fairness– Forthrightness– Straightforward conduct– A refusal to lie, steal or deceive

• Honesty is taking responsibility for one’s own actions

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What Is Fraud?

• Fraud is an intentional act calculated to deceive by– Affirmative act– Concealment– Omission

• …that results in damage to an individual or organization and violates a legal or equitable duty owed

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Impact Of Dishonesty And Fraud• Fraud and dishonesty cause– The destruction of institutional and personal

reputation, loss of respect, and loss of public esteem– Criminal and civil penalties, fines, suspension,

terminations and the destruction of careers– U.S. organizations to lose an estimated five (5%)

percent of their annual revenues

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Identifying And Reporting Fraud• The five most reported schemes of fraud are:

– BILLING SCHEMES – employee causes the business to issue payment for fictitious goods or services or payment for services that were personal to the employee

– PAYROLL SCHEMES – employee caused the business to issue payment for compensation for false claims of work

– EXPENSE REIMUBURSEMENT SCHEMES – employee makes a claim for reimbursement for a fictitious, or inflated, or personal expense

– CHECK TAMPERING – employee steals funds by forging or altering a business check

– CASH REGISTER DISBURSEMENT SCHEMES – employee makes false entries on a cash register to conceal removal of currency

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Who Reports Fraud, And How?

• Fraud is discovered 46% of the time due to a tip provided by an individual– Of the fraud tips provided, 59.6% come from

company employees– 35% from customers or vendors– 5% by internal or external audit and by chance

• Organizations with anonymous reporting systems cut their fraud losses by 50%

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What Is Ethical Conduct?

• Conduct conforming to the law and regulations, professional standards, and the policies of the University – A Statement of Ethical Conduct expresses a set of

values and defines the purpose of an individual or organization

– A Statement of Ethical Conduct says: “This is who we are and this is what we stand for”

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What Is Compliance?

• A willingness to follow a prescribed course of action– Acting according to certain accepted standards– Observance of official requirements

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Columbia’s Compliance Hotline

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Compliance Hotline

• A 24/7 confidential channel for employees to report or seek guidance on incidents of financial impropriety

• Enhances the set of existing services and channels that support integrity and compliance– EVP for Research– Billing Compliance– Human Resources– Internal Audit– Ombuds Office

Why Is This Important?

• We want to give employees every possible means to report fraud, abuse, and conflicts of interest -- and the understanding of why it is important to do so– Less than one-half of all organizations encourage

discussion of moral dilemmas and criticism of unethical conduct

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Columbia’s Compliance Hotline

• Provided and administered by a third party -- Global Compliance

• 24-hour telephone and web-based channels– (866) 627-3768– https://www.submitreport.com/columbiauniversity.jsp

• Confidential intake and report handling– Option to report anonymously

Focus Of The Compliance Hotline

• University-wide scope– Fraud and financial improprieties– Research misconduct– Conflicts of interest– Breaches of confidentiality or destruction of

information– Discrimination or harassment

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Options -- How, Where to Report

• If possible, reach out to your supervisor first– As an alternative, identify the proper channel for

seeking guidance, reporting, or resolution– Compliance Hotline

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