California Whistleblower Protection Act
By Executive Order
Executive Order 1115, “Reporting Procedures for Protected Disclosure of Improper Governmental Activities and/or Significant Threats to Health or Safety,” establishes a procedure for employees and applicants for employment at California State University (CSU) to make good faith communication that discloses information that may evidence an improper government activity or any condition that may significantly threaten the health or safety of employees or the public.
California Government Code 8548 requires San Diego State University to inform employees of the California Whistleblower Protection Act. This law provides SDSU employees the opportunity to report improper activities to the Bureau of State Audits (BSA). The BSA investigates:
- Any suspected misuse of Recovery Act funds
- Any violation of state or federal law including theft, fraud, or conflicts of interest
- Misuse or waste of state resources including property or employee time
- Gross misconduct, incompetence, or inefficiency by state employees
The BSA investigates state government improprieties. It does not investigate misconduct by federal or local governments or by private businesses or organizations.
Employees may report incidents directly to the BSA via the California Whistleblower Hot-line at 800-952-5665 or by mailing concerns to:
Investigations
California State Auditor
P.O. Box 1019
Sacramento, CA 95812
Concerns about campus practices may also be reported to the SDSU Associate Vice President for Administration by calling 619-594-6018.
Here for your review are the California Whistleblower Auditor's Brochure to Employee 2017 from State Auditor Elaine M. Howle and the California State Auditor’s California Whistleblower Hotline Poster 2017.
The BSA reviews all tips and investigates whenever possible. Although the BSA has no enforcement power, it reports substantiated improprieties to:
- The head of the agency involved
- The attorney general or other enforcement agencies, legislative committees, and any other authority with jurisdiction
- The general public, keeping your identity confidential
In addition, the California Whistleblower Protection Act protects employees from unlawful behavior after concerns are reported.
- It requires the BSA to protect the identity of those making complaints (except from law enforcement)
- It helps guard against intimidation, threats, or coercion by state employees that could interfere with the right to disclose improper government activities
- It shields employees from reprisal, retaliation, threats, or coercion for reporting such information
California State University Executive Orders 929 and 1058 protect SDSU employees from retaliation for reporting such information. Concerns about retaliation should be reported to the SDSU Associate Vice President for Administration at 619-594-6018, or directly to the CSU Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, California State University Chancellor’s Office at 562-951-4455.
Filing Procedures
For a full description and filing procedures, see Executive Order 1115 and Executive Order 1116; or visit the Chancellor’s Office Whistleblower Protection web page.