Safe Reporting
If you have witnessed or have evidence of serious wrongdoing at George Brown College, our Whistleblower Policy and reporting procedures allow you to make a complaint without fear of backlash.
If you choose to remain anonymous, we offer a way for George Brown community members to submit a whistleblower report through an external reporting services provider.
Community members involved in a whistleblowing complaint can expect the following protections:
- No reprisal: The college won’t retaliate against a community member who makes a whistleblowing complaint in good faith.
- Fair processes: Everyone involved in allegations of serious wrongdoing will be treated fairly and impartially.
- Confidentiality: Everyone involved is required to maintain the confidentiality of the process.
Whistleblowing FAQ
Who can make a whistleblower complaint?
Everyone in the George Brown College community can file a complaint, including:
- the Board of Governors
- employees
- students
- volunteers
- visiting scholars
- any persons while they are acting on behalf of or at the request of the college
- any agent, vendor, subcontractor, contractor, or company providing a product or service to the college, or who is involved in a request for proposal/tender process issued by the college
- appointees (e.g. Chancellor)
What is serious wrongdoing?
A whistleblower complaint can be filed for the following, which are examples of serious wrongdoing:
- a criminal offence, or other willful violations of federal, provincial or municipal law,
- negligent, improper use, or gross mismanagement of college or public resources, and
- acts or omissions that cause substantial and specific danger to the environment or public health and safety.
When does whistleblowing not apply?
Whistleblowing does not apply to raising individual concerns, appeals, complaints and grievances. It does not apply to issues with matters such as, but not limited to academic appeals; student or employee conduct or harassment; discrimination; accessibility; copyright; intellectual property; individual health or safety; and management or employee performance provisions contained in collective agreements or legal statutes where other resolution processes exist.
How do I make a whistleblowing complaint?
Submit a ConfidenceLine report
ConfidenceLine is George Brown College's authorized third-party reporting services provider.
By phone
Call George Brown College's dedicated ConfidenceLine phone number for reporting at
1-877-876-6677.
Submit a complaint online
Complaints submitted via ConfidenceLine can be made anonymously so your IP addresses are not tracked, and personal information is redacted if desired. ConfidenceLine will transmit any complaint it receives anonymously for review and investigation in accordance with George Brown College's Whistleblower Policy.
Submit by email
Whistleblowing complaints can be submitted by email to whistleblowing@georgebrown.ca.
If you want to discuss the matter verbally, you should make this request in the written report, which should include a telephone number or other contact information.
Complaints implicating the secretary of the board should not be submitted to whistleblowing@georgebrown.ca because the secretary of the board monitors this email address.
Submit by mail
Complaints can be submitted in a sealed envelope, addressed as follows:
Secretary of the Board of Governors
George Brown College
P.O. Box 1015, Station B,
Toronto, ON,
M5T 2T9
What happens next?
The secretary of the Board of Governors receives the report and determines if it falls within the scope of the Whistleblower Policy. If it does, it will be referred for investigation. The investigation report will be referred to an appropriate member of the college’s senior leadership team for resolution. If no resolution is possible, the matter may be referred to external auditors.
For more details on the process, review the Whistleblower Policy.
