Your Obligation as an Employee

The University of Oregon is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning and work environment for students, faculty, and staff. Employees contribute to this commitment by demonstrating inclusion, by intervening, offering support, and speaking up when others experience harm, and by meeting their reporting obligations.

Questions about reporting obligations can be directed to oicrc@uoregon.edu.

Employee Reporting Categories

Every university employee falls into one of three categories, each with specific reporting obligations for all forms of prohibited discrimination, regardless of whether the disclosure is made by a student or employee. 

Designated Reporters

Designated reporters are employees with authority to address prohibited conduct. Designated reporters must submit reports of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation using OICRC’s online reporting form. This includes all information that was disclosed to you, including the name of the person who experienced harm, the name of the person accused of harm, as well as any other details that were disclosed to you. Once you have submitted a report, you have met your obligation under the policy. If a student discloses sex or gender-based harassment or violence, after you have met with the student, please take a moment to complete the Designated Reporter Checklist to document your conversation. Please note that while most faculty are not designated reporters, Department Heads are Designated Reporters. A list of designated reporters by title can be found on this webpage. 

Assisting Employees

Most employees, including most faculty, are considered Assisting Employees under the Prohibited Discrimination and Retaliation Policy. Assisting Employees should not share disclosures of prohibited discrimination with OICRC unless the information conveyed suggests a threat to the health or safety of any person. However, Assisting Employees should explicitly ask the person making the disclosure whether they want assistance with submitting a report to OICRC offer and are required to provide the person making the disclosure with information about support resources. If a student discloses sex or gender-based harassment or violence, after you have met with the student, please take a moment to complete the Assisting Employee Checklist to document your conversation. Please do not record the student’s name on the checklist.

Confidential Employees

Employees of University Health Services, Care and Advocacy Program staff, the Ombudsperson and program staff, and attorneys and staff assisting students in Student Conduct processes are confidential employees with professional obligations and/or commitments to confidentiality. Confidential employees will maintain confidentiality while offering information, resources, and reporting options.

Other Responsibilities

• Understand other reporting obligations regarding Campus Security Authorities, if applicable, and mandatory child abuse reporting.
• If you are a Designated Reporter, display the Designated Reporter sign prominently near your work area. Contact the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance to obtain a Designated Reporter sticker if you don’t have one.
• Include your reporting status in your email signature.  Refer to suggested email language options. 
• Include suggested syllabus language on course syllabus, if applicable

Please Note: Employee conversations that are otherwise privileged or confidential under state or federal law are also confidential, such as those of union stewards and union representatives when employees who are otherwise not confidential are acting in those roles.

Training: online training is available for employees to understand their reporting responsibilities. It can be accessed on the employee training webpage.

Additional Reporting Obligations

Mandatory Reporting: Child Abuse and Neglect

All UO employees, including student employees and graduate employees, have a duty to report child abuse and neglect to the Oregon Department of Human Services or law enforcement when there is reasonable cause to believe that child abuse or neglect has occurred. A child is any person under the age of 18.  The duty to report is in effect at all times, not only during work hours.

For more information, refer to the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse page on the HR website.

Campus Security Authority: Clery Reporting Obligations

Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) are employees who are in a professional position that makes it likely that students and others could report crimes to them. Under federal law, CSAs have a responsibility to tell the institution about such incidents. For information relating to CSA reporting obligations under the Campus Clery Act, please visit the University of Oregon Police Department website or contact the Clery Coordinator at clery@uoregon.edu.