Office of
Compliance
Establishing and maintaining a robust culture of accountability, ensuring adherence to the highest standards of compliant and ethical conduct throughout the CSCU system.
CSCU is committed to ensuring compliance with state and federal laws impacting and guiding higher education institutions. To that end, the Office of Compliance works with employees and students system wide to ensure that we are maintaining the highest ethical standards and creating an environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Our efforts include educating our community on their rights and responsibilities under applicable law and Board of Regents (BOR) policy, effectively responding to allegations of misconduct, and using data to identify areas for improvement or focus. While compliance is a system priority, it is also an individual responsibility for each of our community members. The Office of Compliance is available to support community members’ efforts in state and federal compliance obligations and other BOR policy matters.
Title IX and Nondiscrimination
The Office of Compliance works to establish and maintain a community free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation through prevention, education, and response. Please know that if you are impacted by any of these behaviors, support is available.
Ethics
It is important that members of the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities and Board of Regents employees conduct themselves with the highest degree of honor and integrity and understand that public service is a public trust. Ethical conduct in our relationships with each other, members of the public, our students, other state agencies, and private entities is of critical importance. As such, all CSCU employees are subject to the State Code of Ethics and the CSCU Ethics Statement.
Contact
For inquiries regarding Ethics please contact Cameron Liston, CSCU Ethics Liaison, at cameron.liston@ct.edu.
Report Form
This form may be used to report an individual’s own concerns, or to fulfill the employee reporting responsibilities set forth in the Policies 4-07 (Ethics) and 4-13 (Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation), including those specific to student disclosures of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking.
Upon submission of this form, the Office of Compliance will follow up with the reporting party and/or the identified impacted party to provide information about available resources and response options. The information provided on this form is not confidential but will be handled with discretion. Pursuant to CSCU policies, parties submitting a report in good faith are protected from retaliation.
Policy Proposals
The Board of Regents for Higher Education (“BOR”) is committed to open and transparent communication of the policies that govern its actions. It is the intention of the BOR to create policies that are well-defined, understandable and consistent with its mission. To that end, the BOR established the Inter-institutional Policy Committee as a venue for CSCU policy development. Review our Policy Development Procedure for more information.
Contact
For assistance in developing a policy proposal or presenting the proposal to the BOR, please contact Cameron Liston, Chief Compliance Officer, at cameron.liston@ct.edu.
Policy Committee Presidential Designees
- Central Connecticut State University
Stacy Votto, University Counsel
stacy.votto@ccsu.edu
- Charter Oak State College
Michael Moriarty, Vice President for Administration & Chief Financial Officer
mjmoriarty@charteroak.edu
- CT State Community College
Cynthia Isales, Compliance Officer
cynthia.isales@ctstate.edu
- Eastern Connecticut State University
LaMar Coleman, Vice President Equity & Diversity
colemanla@easternct.edu
- Southern Connecticut State University
Lillian Wanjagi, Vice President Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer
wanjagil1@southernct.edu
- Western Connecticut State University
Jennifer Labate, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer/Title IX Coordinator
labatej@wcsu.edu
Policy Development Procedure
Purpose
This procedure outlines the process for developing, reviewing, approving, and implementing new policies, policy amendments, and policy retirements within the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system. The goal is to ensure that policies are created through a transparent, inclusive, and structured process that supports the mission, values, and operational needs of CSCU consistent with CSCU’s Policy on Policies.
1. Initiation of Policy Development
Policy proposals may originate from any CSCU institution, the system office, or stakeholder(s). All proposals may be submitted to the Policy Committee for initial assessment and guidance on the development process.
2. Policy Drafting
The designated Policy Owner (a position or department responsible for the subject matter) should lead the drafting process. The Policy Committee supports the drafting process by providing templates, formatting standards, and procedural advice. Upon request, the Policy Committee will conduct a preliminary impact assessment to evaluate the operational and financial implications for institutions and stakeholders.
3. Review Process
Policy Owners Review
The draft policy is reviewed internally by the policy owner and individuals/units directly responsible for the policy. Feedback is collected, and revisions are made accordingly.
Stakeholders Review
The draft policy is circulated to a broader group of stakeholders, which may include faculty and staff governance bodies, institutional leadership, student representatives, and other parties potentially impacted by the policy. Required additional reviews must be conducted by: - General Counsel’s Office to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. - Office of Compliance to assess alignment with internal and external standards or regulatory obligations. - Chief Financial Officers to evaluate fiscal impacts and resource considerations.
Upon request, the Policy Committee will coordinate the dissemination of the draft, collect feedback, and work with the Policy Owner(s) to incorporate feedback into the draft policy.
Executive Leadership Review
After stakeholder feedback is incorporated into the draft, the revised policy will be presented to the CSCU Chancellor and institutional presidents by the Policy Committee for strategic alignment and system-wide consistency. Leadership may provide final recommendations for modifications prior to submission to the appropriate Board of Regents (BOR) committee.
4. Board of Regents Review and Approval
Upon endorsement by executive leadership, CSCU staff assigned to the committee will submit the policy to the appropriate BOR committee. The committee reviews the policy and may request additional changes or clarifications from the Policy Owner. At the committee’s discretion, the policy may be recommended for consideration by the full BOR. At a subsequent BOR meeting, the policy is presented to the BOR for a vote. Policies are only established upon approval by a majority vote of the BOR.
All adopted policies are posted on the official CSCU Policy Repository.
5. Policy Communication and Implementation
Upon adoption by the BOR, the Policy Committee will: - Develop a communication plan to inform all stakeholders of the new or revised policy. - Create and support education and training plans to facilitate policy understanding and compliance across institutions.
6. Policy Review and Revision
Pursuant to CSCU policy, all CSCU policies must be reviewed, at a minimum, every three years. The Policy Committee will notify policy owners when their policies are due for review with sufficient time to conduct such reviews to ensure policies remain relevant and effective.
Training
A cornerstone of CSCU’s compliance program is educating individuals of their rights and responsibilities as members of the CSCU community. The Office of Compliance is dedicated to delivering high-quality, engaging training and tools that empower community members to engage effectively in a culture of accountability.
Connecticut Office of State Ethics Training
The Office of State Ethics offers training on the Codes of Ethics for public officials, state employees, lobbyists, state contractors, and other interested groups.
DCF Mandatory Reporter Training
Mandated reporters are required to report when they suspect or believe that a child under the age of 18 has been abused, neglected or is placed in imminent risk of serious harm.
CSCU Digital Accessibility Training
A collection of training resources that can assist in creating accessible content.