Reporting Ethics Concerns
APS will investigate reports of alleged misconduct that take place at APS Activities, that is, events sponsored or sanctioned by APS or our units. We will also review complaints regarding ethical misconduct taking place at Non-APS Activities when accompanied by the requisite documentation. For more information about APS Activities, Non-APS Activities, and other ethics terms, please review our list of definitions.
Ethics complaints and reporting
An ethics complaint refers to observable action, conduct, or behavior that is not aligned with our Ethics Standards, Code of Conduct, or Core Values. The APS ethics department responds to all formal complaints filed using any one of the following reporting channels:
Ethics processes and procedures
To learn more about filing an ethics complaint and explore the processes and procedures that APS uses to investigate allegations of ethical misconduct, please see the APS Ethics Investigation and Resolution Procedures.
Details about filing an ethics complaint and anonymity
When filing an ethics complaint, whether anonymously or not, you should include the following:
- Provide a description of the behavior that is objectionable, offensive, or not aligned with APS' ethics and that is the subject of the complaint. This information is critical and must be included in all complaints
- Identify the person(s) who engaged in the alleged misconduct
- Include the location where the alleged misconduct occurred and be as specific as possible
- Describe the timeframe in which you experienced the misconduct
- Identify any individuals who may have heard or observed the objectionable conduct
- State whether the misconduct was reported to anyone prior to filing a complaint
- Provide any additional information that will allow the complaint to be verified
- Submit any documentation that supports your complaint
Your complaint may be anonymous. However, APS may be limited in our ability to respond to anonymous complaints that lack sufficient details. Sufficient detail should include who, what, where, when, and how the misconduct took place. If you file an anonymous complaint and make conclusions without describing the behavior or conduct you experienced, your complaint will lack sufficient detail. For example, if a complaint that simply claims an individual was rude and condescending but does not describe the behavior the individual engaged in, then it is conclusory and lacks sufficient details. When investigating ethics complaints, APS must give the Respondent, that is, the individual accused of misconduct, a sufficient description of the objectionable conduct and an opportunity to respond.
Whether your complaint is anonymous or not, if it lack sufficient details, APS will inform you that more information is needed and give you 30 days to provide additional details. If you do not respond within that timeframe, then your complaint will be dismissed.
Ethics investigation process for APS Activities
APS will investigate reports of alleged misconduct that take place at APS Activities, that is, events sponsored or sanctioned by APS or our units. For more information about APS Activities, Non-APS Activities, and other ethics terms, please review our list of definitions.
- Preliminary Review
Once you file a complaint, APS will issue an acknowledgement of receipt. APS will perform a Preliminary Review to determine whether the ethics complaint is within the scope of the APS ethics policies and sufficiently detailed to raise the allegations above a level of speculation.
- Opening Letters
If APS opens an investigation, we will issue Opening Letters that contain a precise description of the allegations being investigated.
- Investigation
The APS head of ethics interviews witnesses, reviews documents, and prepares a Report of Investigation that summarizes the findings.
- Closing Letters
Based on the findings, APS may determine sanctions, and Closing Letters will be issued to the individual who filed the complaint, that is, the Complainant, and to the individual accused of misconduct, that is, the Respondent.
Ethics investigation process for Non-APS Activities
APS does not investigate Non-APS Activities. Instead, we require a finding from a credible body and will perform an administrative review to determine whether the finding violates our ethical standards.
- Preliminary Review
Similar to the process for investigating APS Activities, you will be issued an acknowledgement of receipt of your complaint, and a Preliminary Review will be conducted to determine whether the matter is within scope of our ethics policies and supported with the required documentation.
- Opening Letters
If the complaint contains the required documentation, the ethics chair will open a review, appoint a review panel, and issue Opening Letters describing the alleged misconduct under review.
- Review of the record
The review panel will determine if the conduct contravenes APS' ethical standards and a sanction is appropriate.
- Closing Letters
Closing Letters are issued to the individual who filed the complaint, that is, the Complainant, and to the individual accused of misconduct, that is, the Respondent, to inform them of the determination.
Possible sanctions for an ethics violation
APS may impose sanctions for violations of our Ethics Standards or Code of Conduct, including any of the following:
- An educative letter
- Removal or exclusion from meetings
- Reprimand
- Censure
- Removal from official position or APS selection committee
- Disqualification from future position or committee
- Probation
- Revocation
Alternatives to filing a formal complaint
If you believe that an informal resolution will likely prevent the alleged misconduct from recurring and you feel the issue can be resolved without further action, you may seek an informal resolution, such as mediation, through unit leadership or a meeting organizer. The focus on informal resolution/mediation is to:
- Elevate understanding of the impact of the conduct and why it occurred
- Repair the relationship
- Enhance understanding of the community standards established by the ethics policies and Core Values
In addition, the APS members-only Ombuds Program offers confidential, impartial, informal, and independent conflict resolution services and problem-solving support for harassment or discrimination matters during APS and Non-APS Activities.
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