1. Kickback Defined. 鈥淜ickback鈥� as defined by the FAR means any money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, thing of value or compensation of any kind that is provided directly or indirectly to any prime contractor, prime contractor employee, subcontractor or subcontractor employee for the purpose of improperly obtaining or rewarding favorable treatment in connection with a prime contract or in connection with a subcontract relating to a prime contract. University employees are prohibited under federal and state laws from accepting or offering kickbacks.
2. Ethics in Public Service Act. The Ethics in Public Service Act codified in Chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington prohibits State of Washington employees from accepting a gift, gratuity or additional compensation for personal services rendered as part of official duties. Regulations published by the State Ethics Board and in 听prohibit the use of university facilities and equipment for personal business use. Email and local telephones may be used for personal nonbusiness uses so long as the use is minimal and does not interfere with the carrying out of official duties. Each faculty and staff member is individually responsible for compliance with these rules.

3. Outside Consulting Work.听Faculty and staff are required to receive prior approval before engaging in outside professional work for compensation. In the conduct of outside work, university facilities, employees, materials or equipment may not be used unless permitted by the university鈥檚 policy on 鈥淧ersonal Use of University Facilities, Computers and Equipment by University Employees,鈥� Administrative Policy Statement 47.2. See听补苍诲听.
4. Internal and Governmental Audits.听Internal audits conducted by the university鈥檚 Internal Audit Department, and external audits conducted by the State Auditor鈥檚 Office and the Office of Naval Research, among others, provide checks and balances to university policies and procedures.
5. Procurement Procedures. Purchases may not be made by university personnel unless authorized in advance by a department employee with appropriate authority, and most purchases in excess of the current 鈥渄irect buy limit鈥� must be authorized by a听Services Buyer. No gift or benefit of any kind may be offered to or accepted by a state employee involved in the purchasing process as an inducement to buy a particular product or restrict competition (Revised Code of Washington sections 39.26.020 and 42.52.140). The state ethics law also prohibits any state employee from participating in a purchasing transaction that may result in an economic benefit to themselves or to a family member. A university employee who independently contracts with the university for the sale of goods and services may require prior approval from the State Ethics Board. For any purchases made with federal funds, any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest must be reported to the federal awarding agency in accordance with federal agency policy.
6. Whistleblower Act. The Whistleblower Act is codified in . The Legislature鈥檚 intent is to encourage state employees to report improper governmental actions.听 The law makes retaliation against people whose assertions result in a whistleblower investigation unlawful and authorizes remedies should it occur.听 The State Auditor鈥檚 Office (SAO) is responsible for investigating and reporting on assertions of improper governmental actions.

Information about the听Whistleblower听Program may be obtained by calling the SAO听Whistleblower听Coordinator at 564-999-0918 or through the听听Procedures for reporting improper governmental actions can also be found in Administrative Policy Statement 47.1, which is summarized below.

Summary of the Washington State Whistleblower Act

The 鈥淲histleblower Act鈥� was enacted to encourage employees of the State of Washington to report improper governmental actions.听 鈥淚mproper governmental action鈥� means any action by an employee undertaken in the performance of the employee鈥檚 official duties which:

• is a gross waste of public funds or resources; or

• is in violation of federal or state law or rule if the violation is not merely technical or of a minimum nature; or
• is of substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety; or
• is a gross mismanagement of funds; or
• prevents the dissemination of scientific opinion or alters technical findings without scientifically valid justification, unless state law or a common law privilege prohibits disclosure.
• violates the

Improper governmental action does not include personnel actions for which other remedies exist, including, but not limited to, employee grievances, complaints, transfers, reassignments, demotions, alleged labor agreement violations, claims of discrimination, and related complaints.

In order to be investigated, an assertion of improper governmental action must be provided to the SAO or designated University officials within one year after the occurrence of the asserted improper governmental action.

Assertions of improper governmental action must be filed in writing with the SAO or the following designated University officials:

• President
• Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Vice President, Finance and Administration
• Chancellor, 天美影视传媒, Bothell
• Chancellor, 天美影视传媒, Tacoma
• Vice President, Human Resources
• Chief Compliance Officer, UW Medicine and Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs
• Executive Director, Internal Audit

Telephone calls are not accepted. The whistleblower may file a complaint using the SAO听or completing a printable . Submit the form by email to听whistleblower@sao.wa.gov. or mail the form to:

Washington State Auditor鈥檚 Office
Attn:听 State Employee Whistleblower Program
P.O. Box 40031
Olympia, WA 98504-0031

The report should include:

• A detailed description of the improper governmental action(s);
• The name of the employee(s) involved;
• The agency, division and location where the action(s) occurred;
• When the action(s) occurred;
• Any other details that may be important for the investigation 鈥� witnesses, documents, evidence, etc.;
• The specific law or regulation that has been violated, if known;
• The whistleblower鈥檚 name, address and phone number.

Assertions of improper governmental action may be filed anonymously. However, by providing a name and phone number, the whistleblower enables the State Auditor to gather additional information necessary for a thorough investigation. The identity of the whistleblower is kept confidential.

The SAO has sole discretion to determine how, or if, whistleblower assertions will be investigated. The law lists factors to be considered when making this determination. The SAO will mail an acknowledgment to the whistleblower within 15 working days of receipt of the report. When the investigation has been completed, the SAO will send the whistleblower a letter containing a summary of the information received and the results of the investigation. If the SAO determines an employee has engaged in improper governmental action, it will report the nature and details of the activity to the subject(s) of the investigation, head of the employee鈥檚 agency, attorney general, if appropriate, governor, secretary of state, chief clerk of the house of representatives and the public.

The law protects whistleblowers from reprisal or retaliatory action. If a whistleblower believes he or she has been the subject of such action, the whistleblower may file a claim with the Washington Human Rights Commission. The commission shall investigate the claim and take appropriate action.

You may call Internal Audit at 206-543-4028 if you have questions relating to any of the above.

7. Federal Whistleblower Protections. Because the university is a federal contractor, university employees enjoy certain federal whistleblower protections. This is not a mechanism for making complaints concerning improper practices at the university. Rather, these are protections available for university employees who believe they have suffered reprisals because they reported certain improper practices at the university to an appropriate official. For more information, see 41 U.S. Code 4712 鈥� Pilot program for enhancement of contractor protection from reprisal for disclosure of certain information.听

8. State Government Efficiency Hotline. State law requires the State Auditor鈥檚 Office (SAO) to establish a toll-free telephone line that is available to public employees and members of the public to:

• Report suspected waste, inefficiency, or abuse
• Suggest government efficiency improvements
• Praise a job well done

Concerns can deal with local or state government, employees, contractor, money or activities.

The hotline can be reached by:

• Telephone: 1-866-902-3900
• Web site:听
• Mail:

Washington State Auditor鈥檚 Office
Attn:听 Hotline
P.O. Box 40031
Olympia, WA 98504-0031

The identity of a person making a report through the hotline, by email through the SAO鈥檚 website, or other means of communication is kept confidential unless the person consents to disclosure by written waiver or until the investigation is completed. All documents related to the report and subsequent investigation are also confidential until completion of the investigation, at which time the records are subject to public records laws.

9. UW Financial Fraud & Ethics Hotline. Internal Audit manages the university-wide financial fraud and ethics reporting hotline, a 24-hour, anonymous resource for reporting violations of financial fraud, theft, embezzlement, ethics and waste of university resources.

University employees and members of the public are encouraged to file a report if you have factual information suggestive of accounting, auditing or financial fraud, or ethics violations involving any member of the UW community or other affiliate. To report a violation, please go to the听听website.

.

1. Kickback Defined. 鈥淜ickback鈥� as defined by the FAR means any money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, thing of value or compensation of any kind that is provided directly or indirectly to any prime contractor, prime contractor employee, subcontractor or subcontractor employee for the purpose of improperly obtaining or rewarding favorable treatment in connection with a prime contract or in connection with a subcontract relating to a prime contract. University employees are prohibited under federal and state laws from accepting or offering kickbacks.

2. Ethics in Public Service Act. The Ethics in Public Service Act codified in Chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington prohibits State of Washington employees from accepting a gift, gratuity or additional compensation for personal services rendered as part of official duties.

Regulations published by the State Ethics Board and in prohibit the use of university facilities and equipment for personal business use. Email and local telephones may be used for personal nonbusiness uses so long as the use is minimal and does not interfere with the carrying out of official duties. Each faculty and staff member is individually responsible for compliance with these rules.

3. Outside Consulting Work. Faculty and staff are required to receive prior approval before engaging in outside professional work for compensation. In the conduct of outside work, university facilities, employees, materials or equipment may not be used unless permitted by the university鈥檚 policy on 鈥淧ersonal Use of University Facilities, Computers and Equipment by University Employees,鈥� Administrative Policy Statement 47.2. See and .

4. Internal and Governmental Audits. Internal audits conducted by the university鈥檚 Internal Audit Department, and external audits conducted by the State Auditor鈥檚 Office and the Office of Naval Research, among others, provide checks and balances to university policies and procedures.

5. Procurement Procedures. Purchases may not be made by university personnel unless authorized in advance by a department employee with appropriate authority, and most purchases in excess of the current 鈥渄irect buy limit鈥� must be authorized by a Services Buyer. No gift or benefit of any kind may be offered to or accepted by a state employee involved in the purchasing process as an inducement to buy a particular product or restrict competition (Revised Code of Washington sections 39.26.020 and 42.52.140). The state ethics law also prohibits any state employee from participating in a purchasing transaction that may result in an economic benefit to themselves or to a family member. A university employee who independently contracts with the university for the sale of goods and services may require prior approval from the State Ethics Board. For any purchases made with federal funds, any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest must be reported to the federal awarding agency in accordance with federal agency policy.

6. Whistleblower Act. The Whistleblower Act is codified in of the Revised Code of Washington. The Legislature鈥檚 intent is to encourage state employees to report improper governmental actions. The law makes retaliation against people whose assertions result in a whistleblower investigation unlawful and authorizes remedies should it occur. The State Auditor鈥檚 Office is responsible for investigating and reporting on assertions of improper governmental actions.

Procedures for reporting improper governmental actions can be found in . It is also summarized below.

Summary of the Washington State Whistleblower Act

The 鈥淲histleblower Act鈥� was enacted to encourage employees of the State of Washington to report improper governmental actions. 鈥淚mproper governmental action鈥� means any action by an employee undertaken in the performance of the employee鈥檚 official duties which:

• is a gross waste of public funds or resources; or
• is in violation of federal or state law or rule if the violation is not merely technical or of a minimum nature; or
• is of substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety; or
• is a gross mismanagement of funds; or
• prevents the dissemination of scientific opinion or alters technical findings without scientifically valid justification, unless state law or a common law privilege prohibits disclosure.

Improper governmental action does not include personnel actions for which other remedies exist, including, but not limited to, employee grievances, complaints, transfers, reassignments, demotions, alleged labor agreement violations, claims of discrimination and related complaints.

In order to be investigated, an assertion of improper governmental action must be provided to the State Auditor鈥檚 Office (SAO) or designated university officials within one year after the occurrence of the asserted improper governmental action.

Assertions of improper governmental action must be filed in writing with the SAO or the following designated university officials:

• President
• Provost and Executive Vice President
• Vice President for Finance and Administration
• Chancellor, 天美影视传媒 Bothell
• Chancellor, 天美影视传媒 Tacoma
• Vice President, Human Resources
• Chief Compliance Officer, UW Medicine and Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs
• Executive Director, Internal Audit

Telephone calls are not accepted. 听The whistleblower may file a complaint using the SAO听, return a filled out printable form, or submit the form by email to听whistleblower@sao.wa.gov.听 Additional information about the Whistleblower Program may be obtained by calling the SAO Whistleblower Coordinator at 564-999-0918 or through the听.听 The report should include:

• A detailed description of the improper governmental action(s);
• The name of the employee(s) involved, their job position and supervisor;
• Name of witnesses, if any, and their contact information;
• The agency, division and location where the action(s) occurred;
• When the action(s) occurred;
• Any other details that may be important for the investigation 鈥攄ocuments, evidence, etc.;
• The specific law or regulation that has been violated, if known;
• The whistleblower鈥檚 name and contact information (phone, email or address).

Assertions of improper governmental action may be filed anonymously. However, by providing a name and phone number, the whistleblower enables the State Auditor to gather additional information necessary for a thorough investigation. The identity of the whistleblower is kept confidential.

The SAO has sole discretion to determine how, or if, whistleblower assertions will be investigated. The law lists factors to be considered when making this determination. The SAO will mail an acknowledgment to the whistleblower within 15 working days of receipt of the report. When the investigation has been completed, the SAO will send the whistleblower a letter containing a summary of the information received and the results of the investigation. If the SAO determines an employee has engaged in improper governmental action, it will report the nature and details of the activity to the subject(s) of the investigation, head of the employee鈥檚 agency, Attorney General, Governor, Secretary of State, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives and the public.

The law protects whistleblowers from reprisal or retaliatory action. If a whistleblower believes he or she has been the subject of such action, the whistleblower may file a claim with the Washington Human Rights Commission. The commission shall investigate the claim and take appropriate action.

A more detailed summary of the Whistleblower Act and methods of transmitting whistleblower assertions are contained in the . You may call Internal Audit at 206-543-4028 if you have questions relating to any of the above.

7. Federal Whistleblower Protections. Because the university is a federal contractor, university employees enjoy certain federal whistleblower protections. This is not a mechanism for making complaints concerning improper practices at the university. Rather, these are protections available for university employees who believe they have suffered reprisals because they reported certain improper practices at the university to an appropriate official. For more information, see 41 U.S. Code 4712 鈥� Pilot program for enhancement of contractor protection from reprisal for disclosure of certain information.听

8. State Government Efficiency Hotline. State law requires the State Auditor鈥檚 Office (SAO) to establish a toll-free telephone line that is available to public employees and members of the public to:

• Report suspected waste, inefficiency, or abuse
• Suggest government efficiency improvements
• Praise a job well done

Concerns can deal with local or state government, employees, contractor, money or activities.

The hotline can be reached by:

• Telephone: 1-866-902-3900
• Web site:
• Mail:

State Auditor鈥檚 Office
Attn:听 Hotline
P.O. Box 40031
Olympia, WA 98504-0031

The identity of a person making a report through the hotline, by email through the SAO鈥檚 website, or other means of communication is kept confidential unless the person consents to disclosure by written waiver or until the investigation is completed. All documents related to the report and subsequent investigation are also confidential until completion of the investigation, at which time the records are subject to public records laws.

9. UW Financial Fraud & Ethics Hotline. Internal Audit manages the university-wide financial fraud and ethics reporting hotline, a 24-hour, anonymous resource for reporting violations of financial fraud, theft, embezzlement, ethics and waste of university resources.

University employees and members of the public are encouraged to file a report if you have factual information suggestive of accounting, auditing or financial fraud, or ethics violations involving any member of the UW community or other affiliate. To report a violation, please go to the website.

“Mrs. Benaroya initially asked to amend the endowment agreement in several ways, including to prohibit the holder from making political statements or signing agreements seen as hostile to Israel. The UW would not agree to these amendments. Further good-faith discussions did not lead to a resolution. The return of the original $5 million gift was, in the UW鈥檚 view, the best way to protect academic freedom, to make clear that endowment agreements cannot limit academic freedom in any way, and to maintain the program free from external influence and pressure to adopt any specific positions.

“The original Benaroya endowment had grown to nearly $11 million through accrued interest, university matching funds of $2.5 million and other investments that were not returned. Following the return of the $5 million gift, nearly $6 million for Israel studies remains in an endowment. Distributions from this new endowment will continue to support Prof. Halperin鈥檚 new endowed chair, along with additional funds to provide benefits equal to what Prof. Halperin received as the Benaroya chair.

“The Benaroya endowed chair was dissolved as part of the return of the gift; however, again, Prof. Halperin will be the holder of a new endowed chair in Jewish Studies created with the funds that remain in a new endowment. This chair will have the same salary and research benefits as her previous endowed chair. Prof. Halperin鈥檚 tenured professorship is in place and fully supported. The implication in the claim that ‘the university stripped Halperin of her chair position and halted programming related to Israel studies’ is thus not accurate.

“Furthermore, the Israel Studies program, with Prof. Halperin as its chair, continues as a program within the Stroum Center with dedicated funds allocated to support students, faculty research, language instructions and public programs. This has been made possible through additional investments from the University, and the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies. The Stroum Center, the College of Arts and Sciences and the University are committed to these critical areas and will continue to develop the short-term and long-term path to sustain and continue to build the Israel studies program. The University is committed to supporting Israel Studies, including through additional community fundraising.”

鈥� Victor Balta, UW Spokesperson

As part of this visit, the NWCCU will hold three open forums: one each for students, faculty and staff.听Zoom links and passcodes will be sent to registrants the morning of the forum and posted to the听provost’s website.

• Faculty forum听鈥� 1 to 1:50 p.m., Wednesday, April 14. Faculty members interested in meeting with the evaluators should register .
• Student forum 鈥� 4 to 4:50 p.m., Wednesday, April 14. Students interested in meeting with the evaluators should register .
• Staff forum听鈥� 9 to 9:50 a.m., Thursday, April 15. Staff members interested in meeting with the evaluators should register听.

The purpose of the hearing is to allow all interested persons an opportunity to provide input, either orally or in writing, on the proposed amendments to Chapter 478-121 WAC, 鈥淪tudent Conduct Code for the 天美影视传媒.鈥�

The University edited sections and created new sections to update current Chapter 478-121 WAC, Student Conduct Code for the 天美影视传媒 in order to be in compliance with the new U.S. Department of Education Title IX regulations that went into effect on Aug. 14, 2020.

Advance copies of the proposed WAC rules may be obtained by contacting the University Policy and Rules Office by email at rules@uw.edu.听 Or you can see the proposed changes published in the .

Written comment may be submitted via email to rules@uw.edu or via by 5 p.m. on Feb. 16, 2021.

To request disability accommodation for this hearing, contact the Disability Services Office at least 10 days in advance of the event at: 206-543-6450/voice, 206-543-6452/TTY, or by email at dso@uw.edu.

Location of proposal: The project site is at the north end of the campus adjacent to Beardslee Boulevard.

Title of document being adopted: 2017 UW Bothell and Cascadia College Final Environmental Impact Statement

As lead agency, we have identified and adopted this document as being appropriate for this proposal after independent review. This proposal and site is consistent with the Campus Master Plan. It has been determined that it does not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. An environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required under RCW 43.21C.030(2)(c). This decision was made after adoption of the 2017 UW Bothell and Cascadia College Campus Master Plan EIS for the project and preparation and review of a SEPA consistency checklist.

This determination of non-significance is issued under WAC 197-11-340(2).

The comment period will end February 12, 2021.

Responsible Official:听听听听听听听听听听听

Julie Blakeslee, AICP, Environmental & Land Use Planner
jblakesl@uw.edu

This is the latest false statement and shameful deflection from an administration whose State Department and Department of Education took no effective action on behalf of Vera Zhou in response to the University鈥檚 requests, and now wishes to shift attention from that failure. That the Secretary of State would think a university has more power in this situation than the United States government is bizarre. That he would single out a staff member by name is unbecoming of the office and his statement is flatly wrong. While several UW offices have been in contact with Vera throughout her experience, no staff in the UW Office of Federal Relations has had direct contact with Vera or her family.

The 天美影视传媒 has been deeply concerned for Vera鈥檚 safety and well-being throughout her ordeal, and was relieved to hear of her safe return. We cannot even begin to imagine the turmoil this has caused in the lives of Vera, her mother and other loved ones.

However, the notion that the UW did not act on Vera鈥檚 behalf is completely untrue and the insinuation that the University allowed financial interests of any kind to interfere with its handling of this situation is outrageous. We have no record of contact from any State Department official to the UW President鈥檚 Office (or elsewhere in our Administration) that indicates anything regarding a negotiation with a Chinese institution, nor would we balance a student鈥檚 well-being against any financial concern. We have no idea what 鈥渕ultimillion-dollar deal鈥� is being referenced.

The issues at hand rest directly with the federal government, not the UW, though we endeavored to provide Vera support regardless of the circumstances. The UW consulted directly with the U.S. State Department on opportunities for federal intervention, which they reported were extremely limited due to her status as a Chinese citizen. We understand the Department of Education鈥檚 billing servicer was unwilling to make changes to Vera鈥檚 loan, despite being provided information about her extraordinary circumstances. The UW was in regular communication with Vera in the Fall of 2019 to advise her on additional options to try for resolution.

UW staff in the offices of Global Affairs, Student Life and Student Fiscal Services have connected with Vera and her mother on several occasions to proactively express how happy we were to hear she was home, answer questions and provide her with guidance regarding her concerns, and to help provide as smooth a transition whenever and wherever she decided to continue her education. Since Vera鈥檚 return to the U.S. and the state of Washington, our staff have been in regular contact during her enrollment at a community college, advising her on financial aid options still available to her.

And, we can confirm that as of this quarter, Vera is again enrolled at the UW.

# # #

1. Kickback Defined. 鈥淜ickback鈥� as defined by the FAR means any money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, thing of value or compensation of any kind that is provided directly or indirectly to any prime contractor, prime contractor employee, subcontractor or subcontractor employee for the purpose of improperly obtaining or rewarding favorable treatment in connection with a prime contract or in connection with a subcontract relating to a prime contract. University employees are prohibited under federal and state laws from accepting or offering kickbacks.

2. Ethics in Public Service Act. The Ethics in Public Service Act codified in Chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington prohibits State of Washington employees from accepting a gift, gratuity or additional compensation for personal services rendered as part of official duties.

Regulations published by the State Ethics Board and in prohibit the use of university facilities and equipment for personal business use. Email and local telephones may be used for personal nonbusiness uses so long as the use is minimal and does not interfere with the carrying out of official duties. Each faculty and staff member is individually responsible for compliance with these rules.

3. Outside Consulting Work. Faculty and staff are required to receive prior approval before engaging in outside professional work for compensation. In the conduct of outside work, university facilities, employees, materials or equipment may not be used unless permitted by the university鈥檚 policy on 鈥淧ersonal Use of University Facilities, Computers and Equipment by University Employees,鈥� Administrative Policy Statement 47.2. See and .

4. Internal and Governmental Audits. Internal audits conducted by the university鈥檚 Internal Audit Department, and external audits conducted by the State Auditor鈥檚 Office and the Office of Naval Research, among others, provide checks and balances to university policies and procedures.

5. Procurement Procedures. Purchases may not be made by university personnel unless authorized in advance by a department employee with appropriate authority, and most purchases in excess of the current 鈥渄irect buy limit鈥� must be authorized by a Services Buyer. No gift or benefit of any kind may be offered to or accepted by a state employee involved in the purchasing process as an inducement to buy a particular product or restrict competition (Revised Code of Washington sections 39.26.020 and 42.52.140). The state ethics law also prohibits any state employee from participating in a purchasing transaction that may result in an economic benefit to themselves or to a family member. A university employee who independently contracts with the university for the sale of goods and services may require prior approval from the State Ethics Board. For any purchases made with federal funds, any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest must be reported to the federal awarding agency in accordance with federal agency policy.

6. Whistleblower Act. The Whistleblower Act is codified in of the Revised Code of Washington. The Legislature鈥檚 intent is to encourage state employees to report improper governmental actions. The law makes retaliation against people whose assertions result in a whistleblower investigation unlawful and authorizes remedies should it occur. The State Auditor鈥檚 Office is responsible for investigating and reporting on assertions of improper governmental actions.

Procedures for reporting improper governmental actions can be found in . It is also summarized below.

Summary of the Washington State Whistleblower Act

The 鈥淲histleblower Act鈥� was enacted to encourage employees of the State of Washington to report improper governmental actions. 鈥淚mproper governmental action鈥� means any action by an employee undertaken in the performance of the employee鈥檚 official duties which:

• is a gross waste of public funds or resources; or
• is in violation of federal or state law or rule if the violation is not merely technical or of a minimum nature; or
• is of substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety; or
• is a gross mismanagement of funds; or
• prevents the dissemination of scientific opinion or alters technical findings without scientifically valid justification, unless state law or a common law privilege prohibits disclosure.

Improper governmental action does not include personnel actions for which other remedies exist, including, but not limited to, employee grievances, complaints, transfers, reassignments, demotions, alleged labor agreement violations, claims of discrimination and related complaints.

In order to be investigated, an assertion of improper governmental action must be provided to the State Auditor鈥檚 Office (SAO) or designated university officials within one year after the occurrence of the asserted improper governmental action.

Assertions of improper governmental action must be filed in writing with the SAO or the following designated university officials:

• President
• Provost and Executive Vice President
• Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration
• Chancellor, 天美影视传媒 Bothell
• Chancellor, 天美影视传媒 Tacoma
• Vice President, Human Resources
• Chief Compliance Officer, UW Medicine and Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs
• Executive Director, Internal Audit

Telephone calls are not accepted. Assertions can be reported using the Whistleblower Reporting Form or in a separate letter. The Whistleblower Reporting Form is available by contacting the SAO at 360-902-0377 or through the . The report should include:

• A detailed description of the improper governmental action(s);
• The name of the employee(s) involved;
• The agency, division and location where the action(s) occurred;
• When the action(s) occurred;
• Any other details that may be important for the investigation 鈥� witnesses, documents, evidence, etc.;
• The specific law or regulation that has been violated, if known;
• The whistleblower鈥檚 name, address and phone number.

Assertions of improper governmental action may be filed anonymously. However, by providing a name and phone number, the whistleblower enables the State Auditor to gather additional information necessary for a thorough investigation. The identity of the whistleblower is kept confidential.

The SAO has sole discretion to determine how, or if, whistleblower assertions will be investigated. The law lists factors to be considered when making this determination. The SAO will mail an acknowledgment to the whistleblower within 15 working days of receipt of the report. When the investigation has been completed, the SAO will send the whistleblower a letter containing a summary of the information received and the results of the investigation. If the SAO determines an employee has engaged in improper governmental action, it will report the nature and details of the activity to the subject(s) of the investigation, head of the employee鈥檚 agency, Attorney General, Governor, Secretary of State, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives and the public.

The law protects whistleblowers from reprisal or retaliatory action. If a whistleblower believes he or she has been the subject of such action, the whistleblower may file a claim with the Washington Human Rights Commission. The commission shall investigate the claim and take appropriate action.

A more detailed summary of the Whistleblower Act and methods of transmitting whistleblower assertions are contained in the . You may call Internal Audit at 206-543-4028 if you have questions relating to any of the above.

7. Federal Whistleblower Protections. Because the university is a federal contractor, university employees enjoy certain federal whistleblower protections. This is not a mechanism for making complaints concerning improper practices at the university. Rather, these are protections available for university employees who believe they have suffered reprisals because they reported certain improper practices at the university to an appropriate official. For more information, see 41 U.S. Code 4712 鈥� Pilot program for enhancement of contractor protection from reprisal for disclosure of certain information.听

8. State Government Efficiency Hotline. State law requires the State Auditor鈥檚 Office (SAO) to establish a toll-free telephone line that is available to public employees and members of the public to:

• recommend measures to improve efficiency in state and local government;
• report waste, inefficiency or abuse; and
• report examples of efficiency or outstanding achievement by state and local agencies, public employees, or persons under contract with state and local agencies.

The SAO must conduct an initial review of each recommendation for efficiency and report of waste, inefficiency or abuse. Following the initial review, the SAO must determine which assertions require further examination or audit under the auditor鈥檚 current authority.

The hotline can be reached by:

• Telephone: 1-866-902-3900
• Web site:
• Mail:

State Auditor鈥檚 Office
Attn:听 Hotline
P.O. Box 40031
Olympia, WA 98504-0031

The identity of a person making a report through the hotline, by email through the SAO鈥檚 website, or other means of communication is kept confidential unless the person consents to disclosure by written waiver or until the investigation is completed. All documents related to the report and subsequent investigation are also confidential until completion of the investigation, at which time the records are subject to public records laws.

9. UW Financial Fraud & Ethics Hotline. Internal Audit manages the university-wide financial fraud and ethics reporting hotline, a 24-hour, anonymous resource for reporting violations of financial fraud, theft, embezzlement, ethics and waste of university resources.

University employees and members of the public are encouraged to file a report if you have factual information suggestive of accounting, auditing or financial fraud, or ethics violations involving any member of the UW community or other affiliate. To report a violation, please go to the website.

“Both Carter and the complainant requested that the hearing be delayed. It was held on July 29. On Oct. 2, the hearing officer determined that Carter was responsible for violating the Student Conduct Code regarding sexual assault (WAC 478-121-150). The athletics department suspended Carter from the men鈥檚 basketball team indefinitely. Carter had 21 days to appeal the Title IX decision, and he did so on Oct. 23. The appeal was denied and the original decision was upheld on Dec. 2. The sanction is a suspension from the UW for three academic quarters 鈥� Winter 2021, Spring 2021 and Summer 2021 鈥� and makes the no-contact order with the complainant permanent.

“The UW鈥檚 Title IX Office met with a second student who brought a complaint against Carter on March 17, 2020. As soon as the complainant was prepared to move forward, Carter was notified, an investigation began and a no-contact order was issued on March 26. The investigation concluded on June 12 and the case was referred to a hearing officer, as required by federal and Washington state law before a student can be suspended from the university.

“The hearing was held on Sept. 18, following a delay that had been requested by both Carter and the complainant. The hearing officer issued an initial order on Nov. 13, determining that Carter was responsible for violating the Student Conduct Code regarding sexual assault. No appeal was filed as of the Dec. 4 deadline, making the decision final. The sanction is a suspension from the UW for two academic quarters 鈥� Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 鈥� and makes the no-contact order with the complainant permanent.

“Because the two cases were brought separately and the second case was decided before the conclusion of the first case on Dec. 2, the hearing officer could not consider the first finding as a previous violation while determining the sanction for the second violation.

“The UW鈥檚 Title IX Office acted swiftly to gather information, investigate the facts and render carefully considered decisions after fair hearings on these matters. The UW is committed to preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment, and to supporting and protecting our students, faculty and staff while upholding听due process, and properly investigating and addressing allegations of this nature.” 鈥� Victor Balta, UW spokesperson

The 天美影视传媒 is committed to preventing sexual assault, misconduct and harassment. Resources 鈥� including ways to get support and information on how to report sexual assault to law enforcement and/or the University 鈥� are available at听.

鈥淒ue to the seriousness of the findings of the investigation and pursuant to the University鈥檚 faculty code, the Provost initiated a comprehensive adjudication proceeding for tenure removal and termination. The adjudication proceeding has concluded and Sahr鈥檚 employment was terminated on Nov. 12, and his tenure has been revoked.

鈥淎s we stated previously, the safety of our community is the UW鈥檚 highest priority, and this type of conduct cannot be tolerated. While there continues to be no evidence that leads us to believe there are additional students, faculty or staff who were impacted by Sahr鈥檚 actions, resources are being provided to students and departments in which Sahr was most directly involved to provide them with needed support and avenues to safely report anything that has not already been made known.

鈥淭he decision to terminate any employee is one the University takes with great care and seriousness. The investigation and adjudication process is designed to ensure thorough consideration before a conclusion is reached. This process led to Sahr鈥檚 termination, and this action upholds our commitment to providing a safe environment for all students and employees.鈥�

鈥� Victor Balta, UW spokesperson

The 天美影视传媒 is committed to preventing sexual assault, misconduct and harassment. Resources 鈥� including ways to get support and information on how to report sexual assault to law enforcement and/or the University 鈥� are available at听.