Whistleblowing System
Purpose of the Whistleblowing System
The purpose of this system is to ensure fairness and equity in operational management through early discovery and correction of illegal acts pertaining to the operational management of Sophia School Corporation and the schools established by the Corporation; and gross injustice and improper conducts that violate the Corporation’s regulations, and to maintain the social confidence of the Corporation.
Scope of Whistleblowers
- The Corporation’s officers,
- The teaching and administrative staffs (including workers dispatched under contract; workers who engage in business at the Corporation based on a consignment contract or other contract with the Corporation; employees of business partners based on contracts with the Corporation; and those who retired within a year retroactively from the date of reporting),
- The students at Sophia University, the Graduate School of Sophia University, and Sophia University Junior College Division
Content of Whistleblower Report
The content of a whistleblower report should be comprised of the fact of any illegal act and the like pertaining to the operational management of Sophia School Corporation and the schools established by the Corporation that has occurred or is about to occur.
However, any content of a report should not intend to obtain unjust benefit, incur damage to or defame others, provide false information, or derive from any other unjust reasons.
Method of Whistleblower Report
The reporting office is to be located in the “Audit Office (Kansa-shitsu) ” (Room #L-913, 9th floor of the Central Library Building. Phone: 03-3238-4389).
Whistleblower reports can be made through:
Direct interview or phone call
Office Hours: Weekdays, 9:30-11:30, 12:30-17:00
* Please make an appointment in advance by e-mail if you want to report in person.
* Even during office hours, the person in charge may be absent due to other duties.
Documentation (any style)
You may use “Whistleblower Report / Consultation Sheet” below.
Please send the document to the address:
Sophia School Corporation Audit Office
7-1 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, TOKYO, 102-8554
E-mail hotline (e-mail address: koekitsuho110-co[at]sophia.ac.jp).
Please fill out the “Whistleblower Report / Consultation Sheet” and send it as an e-mail attachment.
* Please replace [at] with @ when sending an e-mail.
Whistleblowers can choose to stay anonymous.
The reporting office also accepts requests for consultations before and/or after reporting.
Protection of Whistleblower
Sophia School Corporation, following the Whistleblower Protection Act and any other relevant laws and regulations, promises that the Corporation shall not give a whistleblower who is a member of the teaching or administrative staff employed at the Corporation (including workers dispatched under contract, etc.) or a student of one of the schools established by the Corporation (Sophia University, the Graduate School of Sophia University, or Sophia University Junior College Division) disadvantageous treatment at the office or in the school.
Points to Note When Reporting
- Please make sure to state your name, affiliation, and contact information, etc. in order to investigate the facts.
- Anonymous reporting is also possible. In the case of anonymous reporting, we will only respond if there is sufficient reason to believe that the report is factual, but this may not allow us to fully investigate the facts.
- Within 20 days of receiving a report (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, the National Holidays, and designated university holidays), the person in charge of the reporting office will contact you to inform you how the report will be handled (whether it will be accepted or investigated). If an investigation is conducted, the results of the investigation and subsequent corrective measures will also be informed. However, anonymous reports will not be contacted.
- After receiving a report or after starting an investigation, we may contact you to confirm additional information regarding the report.
- You may retract your report after it has been accepted.
- The personal information of the whistleblower will not be used for any purpose other than dealing with the report at the reporting office.
- You may not make a report for the purpose of obtaining unjust benefit, incurring damage to or defaming others, providing false information, or deriving from any other unjust reasons. If you make such a report, you may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Regulations of Employment, General Regulations of Sophia University, etc.
- For consultations regarding harassment on campus, please request appointments for the Consulting Office, or the Harassment Consultants. For details, please refer to “Requesting appointments for consultations and making inquiries regarding harassment.”
- Complaints of misconduct in research activities and unauthorized use of research funds will be received at the Audit Office, after which The President of Sophia University will decide whether an investigation is necessary. For details, please refer to “Regulations Governing Research Activities and Use of Research Funds.”