Reporting
UCO creates, implements and enforces University policies that promote a safe and welcoming campus community. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or harassment based on any protected status (i.e., age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status), sexual assault or sexual violence, interpersonal (relationship) violence, or stalking, you are encouraged to report the incident to UCO. If you are considered a “Responsible Employee,” you are required to report the incident. Once UCO receives a report, UCO staff members are focused on:
- Stopping the conduct
- Providing services for the safety and well-being of those involved
- Identifying any patterns of behavior that may exist
- Addressing incidents that have occurred
- Taking measures to prevent the conduct from happening in the future
University Compliance Office Team
University Compliance Office staff members are:
- Knowledgeable and trained in University policies and procedures and relevant state and federal laws.
- Available to advise any individual, including a Reporting Party, a Responding Party, or a third party, about University and community resources and reporting options.
- Available to provide assistance to any University employee regarding how to respond appropriately to a report of Prohibited Conduct.
- Responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the University’s policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment, sexual and interpersonal violence, and workplace violence.
- Responsible for overseeing training and education efforts and collaborating on prevention efforts.
Report and Response Managers
Report and Response Managers receive reports and work with parties to provide information on resources, supportive measures and resolution routes. When the UCO is notified of a report, a member of the Report and Response team will send the impacted party an email outreach including resource information and an offer to meet. Impacted parties decide if they have an interest in meeting to address their concerns and can decide what to share with the UCO. Meeting with a Report and Response Manager allows parties the opportunity to learn about available support and resources, even if they choose not to make a formal report or ask the University to interact with the other individual(s) involved in the reported concern.
The UCO is a private office, which means that there may be times that we share information on a need-to-know basis in order to assist with the resolution of complaints. Report and Response Managers can assist with directing parties to confidential resources such as the Violence Prevention and Advocacy Services, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), the University Ombuds Office, and the Employee Assistance Program. Confidential offices, through University policy, are not required to report information to the UCO regarding a report.
Responsible Employees
All University employees are Responsible Employees, unless they are defined as Confidential Resources in the PPDHRM Policy. Responsible Employees are notified of their status and reporting responsibilities by email from UCO staff each year and are required to take annual training. If you are still not sure of whether you are a Responsible Employee, contact Kathryn Winn, Senior Compliance Manager, at kmwinn@unc.edu or 919-843-2993.
UCO support can include assistance with academics (professor notifications, requests for approved absences, rescheduling assignments, etc.), housing, changes to class or work schedules, assistance with parking and transportation, and more.
Campus No Contact Orders
A campus-based No Contact Order (NCO) is an example of a supportive measure implemented and enforced on a case-by-case basis by the University Compliance Office (UCO).
Submitting a report to the University Compliance Office provides people with the option of addressing the incident under the University’s policies. This may include pursuing an investigation through the UCO, which could result in disciplinary action. When someone makes a report, they do not have to decide whether to request any course of action. Choosing to make a report with the UCO and deciding how to move forward after making a report is a process that can unfold over time. For example, some people might choose to pursue support resources initially and later pursue adjudication, while others may wish to engage immediately in a formal investigation. The University will make every effort to respect impacted parties’ decisions about how to proceed, recognizing that the University may be required to move forward with cases in which there appears to be a threat to any individual or to the University as a whole. Resources are available to support an affected individual regardless of the course of action that is chosen. The Report and Response Managers are available to meet with students, faculty, and staff to discuss the formal process and understand more about potential next steps.
Any type of report to the University does not initiate a criminal investigation. If the conduct is criminal in nature, parties are provided information about options to report to local law enforcement. UCO staff members can help connect parties to UNC Police or local law enforcement if interested.
We want anyone to feel comfortable reporting an incident even if alcohol or drugs were involved. Any student who makes a report, whether as a witness or as an affected individual, will not be subject to disciplinary action by the University for their own personal consumption of alcohol or other drugs at or near the time of the incident, provided that these actions did not harm or place the health or safety of any other person at risk.
The University Compliance Office (UCO) implements the University’s policies related to protected status harassment and discrimination, as well as workplace violence. If you are deciding whether to make a report to the University or law enforcement agency, or if you have been asked to participate in an investigation, it can be helpful to document your experience and preserve relevant evidence. As you prepare for your interview as a Reporting Party, Responding Party, or witness, here is information to consider gathering:
- Names of people who are involved or who have witnessed the reported conduct.
- Witnesses can include people who observed the reported conduct, people who were with you or the other person involved right before or after the reported conduct, or people you told about the reported conduct.
- The date(s), time(s), and location(s) of the reported conduct, of communication with the other person involved after the reported conduct, and of communication with anyone about the reported conduct.
- Documentary evidence such as emails, text messages, call logs, videos, photographs, voicemail messages, social media contact (including friend requests), communication on apps (e.g, Venmo, dating apps), receipts, and written communication.
- To record this information, take screenshots that provide a time stamp and date of communication.
- Records of any adverse employment or educational action taken against you, such as grades, attendance records, compliance with accommodations, performance evaluations, etc.
- Any related medical bills, medical records, police reports, or court-based protective orders.
- Information about the impact of the reported conduct.
- Impacts can include places that you’ve stopped going to, impacts on your class or work attendance or performance, areas of campus you are avoiding, or changes to your routine.
- Consider saving documents or information in a file folder that can be shared with UCO or law enforcement (such as Google Drive or OneDrive).
- If experiencing stalking, logging every interaction on a document or spreadsheet with date/times can be useful. Some organizations provide online logs to download and fill in.
