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DANIEL ABEBE: The University of Chicago
is a community of scholars dedicated to research,
academic excellence, and the pursuit
and cultivation of learning.
Members of the university community cannot thrive unless
each is accepted as an autonomous individual and is
able to participate in our community without harassment,
discrimination, or violence.
It is everyone's responsibility to ensure
the safety of the university community
by looking out for one another and being aware of the policies
and resources surrounding discrimination and harassment
at the university.
Specifically, this video will be addressing
the issue of individuals with Title IX reporting
responsibilities.
It will discuss who holds this responsibility,
how to respond to disclosures of sexual misconduct,
and how to report a disclosure to the appropriate office.
Our goal is that everyone have the tools to understand
their obligations, support members of the campus
community, and work together to prevent and eliminate
sexual misconduct at U Chicago.
BRIDGET COLLIER: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
prohibits discrimination on the basis
of sex in educational programs and activities.
This includes all forms of sexual misconduct--
sexual assault; dating violence; domestic violence;
stalking; discrimination based on
gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation;
unwelcome touching, kissing, hugging or massaging;
retaliation; and sexual harassment behaviors
such as unwelcome pressure for a relationship,
invasive or explicit comments about a person's appearance,
sex life, gender, or sexual orientation.
Individuals with reporting responsibilities
are individuals who a student reasonably believes
has the authority or duty to act in a situation
and has no bearing on actual employment
status at the university.
These individuals must report all incidents
of sexual misconduct to a Title IX coordinator.
Individuals with Title IX reporting responsibilities
include, but are not limited to, faculty and instructors,
resident assistants, resident heads, resident deans, teaching
assistants, graduate assistants, deans of students,
athletic coaches, UCPD staff, and all other university
staff when they are acting in the capacity of their campus
role.
Students can also contact a Title IX coordinator directly
to report sexual misconduct.
It is also important to report to the Title IX coordinator
behavior that on its own may not be
so severe or pervasive that it would be considered
unlawful sexual harassment, but that nonetheless
can create a negative and unwelcoming environment
for study and work.
In these situations, the Title IX coordinator
may have the opportunity to address behavior
before it becomes more of a problem, and in doing so,
you contribute to creating and maintaining
a welcoming and inclusive environment in your department,
division, or school.
MEGAN HECKEL: Supporting someone who
has experienced or is experiencing
any form of sexual misconduct can be challenging.
The most important part of responding to a disclosure
is to listen.
Do not assume you know what the individual needs
as needs can vary.
Support the individual disclosing
by offering non-judgemental statements
and then being there for them.
Refer them to resources on campus, including
Confidential Resources.
If you are an individual with Title IX reporting
responsibilities, inform the individual of your obligation
to disclose the information and what that means, but do not
shut down the conversation.
The individual has come to you for a reason,
because they feel comfortable sharing
this information with you and they
believe you can assist them.
Individuals have a variety of options for reporting
sexual misconduct concerns.
Confidential Resources are available to provide
support, resources, and information to students.
These individuals do not share identifying information
about the people or incidents without the student's consent.
Sexual Assault Deans on Call can be reached at 773-834-HELP
and are available 24/7, 365 days a year,
to answer any questions related to sexual misconduct,
including questions about Title IX, university
policy and processes, including the university's
disciplinary processes, resources and support services,
filing a report with local law enforcement,
or obtaining medical assistance.
Other Confidential Resources include Student Counseling
Service, Student Health Service, and Ordained Religious
Advisors.
Individuals with Title IX reporting responsibilities
are also a resource for students.
As indicated, individuals with these reporting obligations
must disclose information received to the Title IX
coordinator and do the following--
take prompt action in reporting information
when you have knowledge of a sexual misconduct concern.
Make it clear you are an individual with reporting
responsibilities.
You can disclose on your syllabus, to your class,
or at your first departmental meeting.
Do not disclose the identity of parties or witnesses or details
to others.
And no one should make outreach outside of the Title IX
coordinator or do any type of investigation on their own.
Receiving disclosures can be challenging, particularly when
a student might request that their information not
be shared with anyone.
In these instances, it is important to maintain
compliance, but also show care to the student involved.
While you will still need to report instances
of sexual misconduct to our office,
you can let the student know they are not in trouble,
they are not required to meet with our office,
can access resources at any time,
and will be receiving an email with various forms of support
and resources.
You can continue to create an open and supportive environment
for the student to feel comfortable speaking with you.
Note that in many cases what a student is saying might not
be the exact language we use to describe
the behavior in our policy.
For example, a student might disclose
that someone is consistently meeting them in their dining
hall and reaching out to them online
in ways they do not want.
While we might define this behavior as stalking,
and subsequently, can assist the student with supportive
measures through our office, it is
important for you as an individual with a Title IX
reporting responsibility to recognize
nuanced instances of unwanted behavior
and connect with us immediately.
We are always available to consult when the behavior is
such that it may or may not rise to a level that
needs to be disclosed to a Title IX coordinator.
SHEA WOLFE: Reporting an incident to the Title IX
coordinators is private and does not
mean the student who experienced the incident somehow
loses control of the process.
After a report is made, the Title IX coordinator
will review the information reported
and inform the individual with Title IX reporting
responsibilities that the information has been received.
We'll make outreach to the student disclosing
or to a third party that discloses.
If the student wants to connect, our office
will set up a meeting to discuss further.
And if they don't want to connect,
our office will follow up a week later
with additional information for future review.
If a student would like to schedule an appointment,
we will meet to discuss the incident
and inform the student of their options
regarding accommodations, interim measures,
and the university's disciplinary processes.
Students can choose not to move forward with the university's
disciplinary processes, but still receive support services.
In some instances, a Title IX coordinator
may need to move forward with an investigation based
on information already received.
If this happens, the student disclosing
will be notified before any further communication occurs.
Retaliation of any kind is strictly
prohibited for either party involved
with the reporting and adjudication
of sexual misconduct concerns.
Retaliation is considered an adverse action
taken against you as a result of engaging with our office.
Reporting concerns to our office is a protected activity and you
cannot be retaliated against for doing this.
In addition, retaliation is a separate violation
under the policy on harassment, discrimination,
and sexual misconduct.
Individuals with Title IX reporting responsibilities
have similar obligations with respect
to reports received or observed involving their colleagues,
meaning that they have a similar obligation
to report to a Title IX coordinator
all incidents of sexual assault, sexual abuse,
sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence,
and stalking, regardless if it involves a student, a faculty
member, another academic appointee, or staff member.
Finally, as with allegations against students,
reporting an incident to the Title IX coordinator
is private and does not mean that the person who
experienced the behavior somehow loses control of the process.
The Title IX coordinator will likewise
review the information received, make outreach,
meet with the person affected by the reported behavior,
and discuss support and resources, as well as options
available.
Similarly, in certain situations,
the Title IX coordinator may need
to move forward with an investigation
even if the person who experienced the behavior
does not want to do so.
If this occurs, the person affected will be notified.
VICKIE SIDES: Students becoming aware of,
and utilizing, the reporting options available to them,
as well as individuals with reporting responsibilities
understanding their obligations serves
the dual purpose of meeting the immediate need for support
and resources of that student and communicating
the institution's values to the campus community.
While these reporting obligations
exist from a compliance perspective,
we believe care and empathy for the individuals involved
can coexist and remains a priority when managing
these difficult situations.
By you disclosing information to our office,
it allows us to engage with the individuals involved
to provide intentional and specialized
support and resources.
Everyone needs to be involved in working
towards a positive climate at U Chicago,
and we are committed to providing faculty, staff,
postdocs, and students, the opportunity
to pursue excellence in their academic and professional
endeavors, free from unlawful harassment, discrimination,
or sexual misconduct.
This opportunity can exist only when each member of the campus
community is assured that their work, learning, and research
occurs in an environment that is grounded
in respect and civility.
For further information or for additional questions
or concerns, please reach out to titleix@uchicago.edu.
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