Colorado Springs

Call the Office of Institutional Equity Main Line at 719-255-4324, email us at equity@uccs.edu, or fill out our Webform.

A responsible employee who witnesses or receives a written or oral report or complaint of sexual misconduct, protected class discrimination and harassment, or related retaliation must promptly report it to the Title IX Coordinator/Office of Institutional Equity (OIE). A failure to report this information promptly to the Title IX Coordinator/OIE is a policy violation.

If an individual discloses an incident to a responsible employee who by definition is a mandatory reporter, but the individual wishes to maintain privacy and requests that no investigation be conducted, that no disciplinary action be taken, or that the allegation not be reported to law enforcement, the responsible employee remains required to report all relevant information to the Title IX Coordinator/OIE.

A responsible employee is any employee who:

• Has the authority to hire, promote, discipline, evaluate, grade, formally advise, or direct faculty, staff, or students;

• Has the authority to take action to redress sexual misconduct as defined herein; and/or

• Has been given the duty of reporting incidents of sexual violence or any other misconduct by students to the Title IX Coordinator.

Examples of responsible employees include, but are not limited to: faculty, teaching assistants, residence advisors, academic advisors, coaches, supervisors, and anyone who leads, administers, or directs University programs.

• This does not include any medical, mental health, Ombuds, or counseling office personnel, in addition to any other offices covered by a statutory privilege or designated in campus procedures as not subject to mandatory reporting to the University.

• To ensure that the Complainant, the person alleging the misconduct is safe. In addition to addressing the concerns, the Office of Institutional Equity often partners with other UCCS resources to ensure the Complainant is receiving all the support the individual needs during a time where they are often anxious, stressed, and confused.

• To understand the true nature and scope of the Complainant’s concerns. Often, Complainants only tell the responsible employee a fraction of what has been going on with the Respondent(s). The OIE provides a safe environment for the Complainant to discuss their concerns in depth. In exchange, the OIE can address those concerns by learning who is involved, what has been occurring, why the Complainant believes the conduct is occurring, and what the Complainant would like to see happen.

• To get the behaviors to stop. In order to enforce the policies, the OIE must be aware of the concerns. The OIE has been tasked with ensuring employees are acting in accordance with the policies and is in the best position to promptly and consistently address concerns across the campus.