Office of General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
We welcome you to the website of the Office of General Counsel. We hope that you will use the resources that we have compiled here, from the Antioch University Policies to our many Compliance Resources.
As the legal department of Antioch University, we help ensure that we meet our mission by properly navigating the legal, ethical, and regulatory environment in which we operate. Our work broadly includes governance and enterprise risk management, ethical and regulatory compliance, a wide array of transactional work, and traditional legal matters such as claims and lawsuits. All our work is undertaken in the best interest of Antioch University and we act in accordance with the ethical and professional standards of the legal profession.
We in the Office of General Counsel look forward to working with you to help identify, prevent, and mitigate legal risks for the University. We are located on the AUNE campus in Keene, NH.
Staff
Mary Granger, University Counsel
Mary Granger serves as University Counsel for Antioch University. In this role, she oversees the Office of General Counsel, managing the legal affairs of the University and providing legal advice to Antioch’s leadership, its academic Schools, and campuses. The goal of the Office of General Counsel is to promote a culture of respect, diversity, inclusion, and legal compliance throughout the University, in furtherance of Antioch’s mission and values.
Mary began her career at Antioch’s Office of General Counsel in 2015, serving previously as Attorney, Assistant University Counsel, and Associate University Counsel. Mary is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law.
Contact Mary | Email Mary | 603.283.2437
Who does the Office of the General Counsel represent?
The Office of the General Counsel provides legal advice and representation to Antioch University, including all its campuses and programs. This includes providing advice and counsel to the Board of Governors, administrators, faculty, and staff acting in their official capacities on a variety of issues affecting the University. The Office of General Counsel does not represent individual faculty, staff members, or administrators in personal legal matters outside the scope of University business.
What type of legal services does the Office of General Counsel provide?
The Office of General Counsel provides a full range of legal services from risk management to litigation in a wide variety of fields affecting higher education, including student and faculty issues, labor and employment, and corporate governance, among many others.
Will the Office of General Counsel represent me if I am sued?
If you are sued in your official capacity as a University employee, the Office of General Counsel may represent you directly or through counsel engaged by the University. The Office of General Counsel cannot provide legal advice or representation for personal matters.
Can I retain outside counsel for a University matter?
If sued in your official capacity as a University employee, you should not contact outside counsel without prior written authorization from the Office of General Counsel. If you believe outside counsel is needed for a University matter, please contact us. Only the Office of General Counsel can retain and approve compensation for outside counsel on behalf of the University.
Are my communications with attorneys in the Office of General Counsel confidential?
Your communications with attorneys in the Office of General Counsel are privileged and confidential as to third parties, but not as to other Antioch University officials. However, we will make every effort to keep your communications confidential to the extent possible. If you have a question about the confidentiality of a particular conversation with an attorney in the Office of General Counsel, please ask before that conversation begins.
What should I do if I receive a document, email, or call from an outside attorney?
If you are contacted by an attorney by mail, electronically, or by phone about some aspect of the work of Antioch University, notify the Office of General Counsel immediately. The Office of General Counsel will work with you to determine what steps are necessary. Please do not communicate in any way with an attorney representing someone who is contemplating, threatening, or engaged in a lawsuit against Antioch University.
What do I do if I learn of something that I think may be unethical or illegal?
If you learn of something that you think may be unethical or may lead to a claim or lawsuit being filed against Antioch University, you should immediately report the matter to the Office of General Counsel. For easy anonymous or acknowledged reporting of concerns, the Office of General Counsel maintains a toll-free number and web reporting listed below:
Phone: 1.866.606.4026.
Where can I find the policies for the Office of General Counsel and Antioch University?
The Office of General Counsel Policy, which provides greater detail on many of the questions raised here, is Policy 3.111. All the policies that pertain to Antioch University are available here.
Should I contact the Office of General Counsel directly?
The primary objective of the Office of General Counsel is to ensure that Antioch University is operating within the law at all times. To do this, the Office of General Counsel should be aware of all transactions and activities of the University including those that are in preliminary stages. Early involvement will ensure limited risk exposure to the University’s finances, personnel, and public image. While encouraging communication, however, the Office of General Counsel must also effectively manage communications, prioritize needs, and optimize the use of limited resources. The Policy of the Office of General Counsel provides that the Chancellor, Board of Governors, Vice-Chancellors, and Provosts shall have direct access to attorneys in the Office of General Counsel. Faculty and staff should ordinarily raise concerns through the Provost or Vice Chancellor as appropriate.
How can I contact the Office of General Counsel?
The Office of General Counsel is located at 40 Avon Street in Keene New Hampshire 03431. We can be reached by telephone at 603-283-2436.
Policies
Antioch University develops and implements policies to advance its mission, manage institutional risk, promote operational efficiency, and achieve compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements. The links on the University Policies page provide convenient access to university-wide policies and rules. It is the responsibility of all Antioch University employees to review and familiarize themselves with University policies.
Compliance Resources
The Office of General Counsel has created these Compliance Resources to assist with Antioch University’s federal and state compliance efforts. All institutions of higher education must comply with a wide range of ever-changing federal laws and regulations. And being a multi-campus University we must also comply with state laws and regulations in California, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Washington State.
Available Resources
Compliance Calendar
We have developed an Antioch University Compliance Calendar, located in the General Counsel section of AUDirect, which provides the due dates when particular compliance documents must be filed by each office, campus, or program. If you are responsible for filing any of the reports on the Compliance Calendar, you can click on the due date of that report, copy that calendar event to your personal Gmail calendar on your computer, and put a reminder to alert you a month, six weeks, etc. before the report is due.
Compliance Hotline
The Antioch University Compliance Hotline allows you to report a concern confidentially or with attribution any time of the day or night. We offer both a toll-free telephone number as well as a web-based form:
Phone: 866-606-4026
Online: https://antiochuniversity.alertline.com/
The phone line is staffed by trained intake specialists from an independent third party based in the United States. Your report – whether by phone or online – will trigger an independent investigation and you will be informed of the results of the investigation if you provide your identity.
Please note: Antioch University will not tolerate retaliation against any individual for reporting a concern.
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
Higher Education Compliance Alliance
Higher Education Compliance Alliance: Comprised of 27 participating associations, the Compliance Alliance was created to provide the higher education community with a centralized repository of information and resources for compliance with federal laws and regulations. There are resources available on everything from accounting to telecommunications.
Contract Review
The Office of General Counsel is required to review all contracts prior to execution, in accordance with AU policies 3.425 Contract Review and 2.403 Expenditure, Contract and Signature Authority. To help the contracting process go more smoothly, the Office of General Counsel is available to consult on contracts during the drafting and negotiation stage. The Office of General Counsel is also available for consultation at any point in the negotiation, drafting, administration, and/or termination of contracts.
Clery Act & Campus Security
Each year, Antioch University publishes a campus security report for each of its five campuses (Antioch University Los Angeles, Antioch University Midwest, Antioch University New England, Antioch University Santa Barbara, and Antioch University Seattle) in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or the Clery Act. This federal law requires institutions to publish an annual report that includes crime statistics for the prior three years, policy statements regarding campus safety and security measures, crime prevention program descriptions, and procedures to be followed in the investigation and prosecution of alleged sex offenses. As the annual reports show, all campuses of Antioch University have extremely low crime rates. The Clery Act also requires colleges and universities to keep an up-to-date crime log, to issue warnings in the event of a crime that may threaten the safety of students or employees, and to keep accurate crime statistics.
The United States Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education provides a rapid customized report for public inquiries relating to all campus crime data, called the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool. All Antioch University campus crime data can be found on the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting tool website at http://ope.ed.gov/security/ Antioch University encourages strongly all students and employees to report accurately and promptly any suspected crime to security personnel and appropriate law enforcement agencies. In addition, you may view the current Clery Reports for the five Antioch University campuses below:
Antioch University Los Angeles
Antioch University New England
Antioch University Santa Barbara
Disclaimer
The Office of General Counsel provides legal advice and representation to Antioch University, including each of its campuses and programs. This includes providing advice and counsel to members of the Board of Governors, administrators, faculty, and staff acting in their official capacities on issues affecting Antioch University. The Office of General Counsel does not represent individuals in personal legal matters outside the scope of University business.