MSU's Ethics Advisor
Dr. Phil Smith
422 Neville Street
Sr. Pastor, First Baptist Church
Tel:  Office 304-253-4252
email:  drphilsmith1@mac.com
www.fbcbeckleywv.org
Tel:  Home 304-763-4559

The Ethics Advisor:
The ethics advisor will be available to all employees to discuss issues of ethical concern. The ethics advisor will investigate all claims of alleged misconduct by any employee. The ethics advisor will also regularly conduct internal audits and investigations to monitor the University's general compliance with its contracts, grants, policies, procedures, and federal, state, and local law. All employees will cooperate fully with the ethics advisor in any investigation. The ethics advisor will maintain all documentation related to ethics investigations, complaints received, and findings and will make these documents available to Board counsel (the Vice President of Legal Affairs) and the Board of Trustees Executive Committee. The ethics advisor will make reports of all investigations to the Board on a calendar quarterly basis, and will report any affirmative findings to the Chairperson of the Board and Board counsel immediately, with a recommendation for action.

Internal Investigations:
The ethics advisor, the President, and the Board of Trustees may periodically conduct internal investigations regarding any University activity. Employees will cooperate fully in any investigation conducted by the ethics advisor, Board counsel, the office of human resources, the accounting department, the President, the Board of Trustees, and any department or agency authorized by the President. The ethics advisor is required to maintain accurate records regarding ethics investigations and provide to the Board of Trustees Executive Committee, on a quarterly basis, findings of fact and conclusions related to the investigations.

Reporting Misconduct:
All employees are obligated to report to the ethics advisor any activity by any person from which one might reasonably conclude to be misconduct by any other employee that could adversely affect the University in its mission, its commitment to integrity, or its compliance with federal, state, and local law. Any employee who desires to maintain anonymity may submit a Mountain State University Notice of Ethical Concern form, which is available at the human resources office, to the ethics advisor by depositing it in inter-office mail or delivering the form to the ethics office labeled “Ethical Concerns.” Persons also may report perceived misconduct by telephone. A telephone line dedicated for the receipt of such reports has been installed and is monitored exclusively by the ethics advisor. The telephone number is posted in various prominent areas of the University. All written and telephonic reports will remain confidential to the ethics advisor, unless such report is necessary to take remedial action against a party.

Sanctions:
Any employee who violates an ethical obligation to Mountain State University will be subject to appropriate corrective action, including, but not limited to, termination of employment. Disciplinary action may be implemented by any one of the employee's superiors. Termination of employment or suspension may be implemented by the President as determined in the Policies and Procedures Manual. University employees who obstruct an internal investigation, intentionally misrepresent any fact during an investigation, intentionally omit any relevant fact during any investigation, or intentionally misrepresent or omit any fact relevant to any reporting requirement provided by University contracts, grants, or any federal, state, or local governmental authority will be terminated immediately by the President upon notice of the violation, subject to the employee's rights of appeal.

Retaliation:
No University employee may retaliate against any University employee because of the employee's submitting a complaint or cooperating in an investigation conducted under this section or otherwise conducted and authorized by these policies and procedures. Any University employee who alleges retaliation will immediately report the incident(s) to the senior human resources officer or to the ethics advisor.