Anyone can report discrimination and harassment to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD). Reporting enables the University to address and prevent harm and impacted parties to receive information about their options and resources. Employees of UC Merced have an obligation to notify the OPHD when they learn, in the course of their work, of possible violations of the UC SVSH Policy and the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.
Who is a Responsible Employee
A Responsible Employee is any university employee who is not a Confidential Resource. This includes student employees (e.g., resident assistants and graduate teaching assistants) when they learn of Prohibited Conduct in their capacities as employees.
Supervisors, managers, and faculty, including department deans and chairs and directors of organized research units, are Responsible Employees with additional reporting obligations.
Please Note: Campus Police are Responsible Employees and are not a confidential resource.
Reporting Required for all Responsible Employees
Any University employee (including any student employee) who is not a Confidential Resource must notify OPHD of the following if they learn of the Prohibited Conduct in the course of their work:
- Prohibited Conduct under the UC SVSH Policy affecting students
Reporting Required for Faculty, Managers, and Supervisors
Any faculty member, manager, or supervisor who is not a Confidential Resource must notify OPHD of any of the following if they learn of the Prohibited Conduct in the course of their work:
- Prohibited Conduct under the UC SVSH Policy affecting anyone affiliated with the University
- Prohibited Conduct under the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy affecting anyone affiliated with the University
What Should Be Reported?
Please see the UC SVSH Policy and the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for definitions and more information about Prohibited Conduct.
Prohibited Conduct under the UC SVSH Policy includes, but is not limited to, sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation.
Prohibited Conduct under the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy includes harassment and discrimination based on the Protected Categories defined in the Policy, including but not limited, race, gender, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, and disability.
Responsible Employees should share with OPHD any details they learn about the alleged Prohibited Conduct.
Additional Reporting Responsibilities
A Responsible Employee may have other reporting obligations, for example as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) under the Clery Act or a Mandated Reporter for child abuse and dependent adult or elder abuse under the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA).
What if the problem I want to report, or have to report, falls into more than one category?
- Reports made to any of the offices on this page will be rerouted to the appropriate office(s).
- However, if you have a reporting obligation, in order to ensure that all the information you are required to provide reaches all of the right offices in the appropriate time frame, you are advised to report directly to all of the relevant offices.
Questions:
Have questions about being a Responsible Employee? Contact OPHD by emailing ophd@ucmerced.edu.
