Welcome to the Office of the USNH General Counsel and Secretary
The Office provides a full range of legal services including advice, counsel and representation to USNH, its component institutions - Keene State College, Plymouth State University, the University of New Hampshire - and its Board of Trustees.
In addition, the General Counsel's Office maintains the USNH corporate records and seal, oversees compliance with the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law, and issues corporate certificates of authenticity and authority.
Ethics and Compliance Hotline
The University System of New Hampshire values honesty, integrity, ethical conduct and compliance with laws, regulations, and policies. Our written standards and policies contain general guidelines for conducting business with the highest standards of ethics.
The University System of New Hampshire is committed to an environment where open, honest communication is the expectation, not the exception. All members of the USNH community are encouraged to report all forms of unethical and illegal behavior, whether related to academic affairs, financial reporting, misappropriation of property, research misconduct, conflicts of interest, breaches of confidentiality, or other matters. If you have any information about behavior believed to be in violation of the law, policies or ethical standards, the normal course of action is to report these suspected violations to one's supervisor or to the person or office responsible for investigating and responding to the specific situations. If it is not feasible to report such concerns to one's own supervisor, or to specifically identified offices such as the Title IX Coordinator or Human Resources, other lines of communication should be considered, such as the Internal Audit Department (603-862-3500) or the Office of the USNH General Counsel and Secretary (603-862-0960).
Situations may arise, however, when an individual discovers or reasonably suspects unethical or illegal behavior and yet may be reluctant to report it for fear of reprisal or retaliation. In such situations, you are encouraged to use this hotline hosted by a third party hotline provider, EthicsPoint, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information you provide will be sent to us by EthicsPoint on an anonymous basis if you should choose.
Completed reports submitted via EthicsPoint will be handled promptly and discreetly. There may be additional requests for information that is necessary in order to complete the investigation. If you file a report through EthicsPoint, you are encouraged to return to the web site or call back after 10 business days. You will need to use the Report Key assigned to you by EthicsPoint and your private password to add more information to the report. If you should choose, your anonymity will be protected by EthicsPoint.
The University System of New Hampshire will not discharge, demote, or otherwise discriminate against an employee who, in good faith, reports suspected legal or regulatory violations, adhering to the State of New Hampshire's Whistleblowers' Protection Act (NH RSA 275-E). Information provided to this hotline will be kept confidential to the extent consistent with the best interests of the University System of New Hampshire and the requirements of State and federal laws.
