The following message was sent to all UCOP staff on Friday, June 16, 2023:

Dear colleagues,

I wanted to take a moment to emphasize the significance of ethics at the University of California and the crucial role each of you plays in upholding these principles. Our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct is essential to fulfilling our education, research, public service, and patient care mission. By embodying ethical practices, we can collectively ensure that we are doing the right thing.

I encourage every member of our University community to actively engage in this commitment by speaking up and reporting any potential wrongdoing. Your involvement is vital in helping us achieve our objective of maintaining integrity and accountability throughout our institution.

To facilitate the reporting process, the University has established the Whistleblower Policy, which provides multiple avenues for employees to raise concerns about potential employee misconduct. Whether it’s through your supervisor, department head, Locally Designated Official (LDO), or other appropriate University offices or officials, we want to ensure that you have accessible channels to voice your concerns.

One of these channels is the systemwide whistleblower hotline, which is independently operated to receive calls or web-based reports. The hotline offers the option of anonymous reporting and ensures that reported concerns are forwarded to the appropriate University officials for processing. The hotline operates 24/7, seven days a week, and is available in multiple languages to cater to diverse needs.

If you wish to make a report, you can do so through the web-based form at universityofcalifornia.edu/hotline or by calling 1-800-403-4744. For more information about the whistleblower process, please visit the UC Whistleblower website and keep an eye out for posters displayed in various employee areas that outline reporting channels. Additionally, the University’s whistleblower poster highlights other avenues for reporting improper governmental activity, such as the California State Auditor and the California Attorney General.

To encourage reporting, the University also prohibits interference with an individual’s responsibility to report misconduct, and retaliation as a result of making a report, through the Whistleblower Protection Policy. This policy outlines the process for reporting interference or retaliation so that we can address such concerns promptly.

Furthermore, as mandated by the California Government Code, the University of California is required to annually distribute a message from the California State Auditor, providing an explanation of the California Whistleblower Protection Act. Please find the 2023 message attached to this email.

Our collective goal is to ensure that the University of California remains a highly ethical institution, adhering to our internal policies as well as external regulations and laws. Together, we can continue to foster an environment of integrity and uphold the principles that define our institution.

Thank you for your dedication to maintaining ethical standards within our University community.

Warm regards,
Alexander A. Bustamante
Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance and Audit Officer

Downloadable resources

• 2023 California State Auditor Brochure (PDF)
• 2023 California State Auditor Poster (PDF)
• 2023 UC Whistleblower Poster (PDF)

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