Darci Heroy, associate vice president and Title IX coordinator, sent the following message to faculty, staff and graduate employees regarding the implementation of a new policy defining reporting responsibilities for employees who learn of a student who has experienced sex or gender-based harassment or discrimination:

Dear Colleagues,

The University of Oregon is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning and working environment for students, faculty, and staff. Everyone on campus has the right to be free from discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct in any form. Together, we share the responsibility to foster and demand a culture of respect at the UO.

To help meet this commitment, the UO has updated its policy about the responsibilities of employees who learn of an incident in which a student has experienced sex- or gender-based discrimination, including sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, harassment or bullying, and stalking. The new Student Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Violence Complaint and Response Policy is now in effect. It applies only to student disclosures of incidents. Other reporting responsibilities have not changed. To learn more about reporting all other forms of prohibited harassment and discrimination, please visit the AAEO website.

This email provides information about your reporting responsibilities related to student disclosures and how to comply with the new policy. It is imperative that you take the time to review the information below and visit the Title IX website for an additional overview of the policy.

For most employees, the new policy changes what you are required to do when a student tells you they have experienced sexual harassment or violence. Previously, most employees were required to report to the Title IX coordinator. Under the new policy, most employees are Student-Directed Employees, which means they are required to:

• Provide students who disclose incidents with information regarding all available campus resources and reporting options.
• Consult with a Confidential Employee to ensure the employee is supported and has all information necessary to help the student, and to assess any risks.
• If the student wants to make a report to the institution, employees must assist the student in reporting information to the Title IX coordinator or report on the student’s behalf, as requested.

There are two additional categories of employees who have different responsibilities for responding to student disclosure: Designated Reporters and Confidential Employees. There are several hundred people who fall into these categories who will receive additional information and resources about how to clearly identify themselves to students. It is important to note there are employees who have reporting obligations under other policies, and those obligations have not changed. Information about these many complexities and all employees’ responsibilities are provided on the Title IX website.

This policy demonstrates our resolve to support and provide services to students who disclose sexual harassment and violence while respecting and protecting victims and survivors as much as possible. It is intended to encourage students to report by clearly identifying what will happen if they share information with an employee, respecting student’s wishes about whether to report, ensuring they receive support, and making all employees part of the solution to prohibited conduct.

Your active involvement in understanding this policy and meeting your responsibilities is key to our commitment to taking care of our students, demonstrating our strong commitment to campus safety, and establishing confidence in our support, services, and response. If you have questions, the Title IX office is always available to help and can be reached by phone at 541-346-8136 or by email at titleixcoordinator@uoregon.edu.

Thank you for taking time to review and understand your responsibilities.

Sincerely,

Darci Heroy
Associate Vice President and Title IX Coordinator

Take action now to continue learning about your responsibilities:
Go to the Title IX website