The University provides supportive or protective measures, as appropriate and reasonably available, to all undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, faculty, and other academic appointees who experience discrimination or harassment on the basis of a protected category, including sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH).
Experiences of discrimination or harassment can have significant impacts on many dimensions of an individual’s life. Supportive measures can be implemented to provide support; restore or preserve access to educational, employment, or housing opportunities; and deter future prohibited conduct.
Examples of supportive measures
Supportive Measures are non-disciplinary and non-punitive and should not unreasonably burden a party.
Supportive measures can be provided depending on the specific needs of the person and the details of their concern. Examples of supportive and protective measures OPHD can help with include, but are not limited to:
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No-contact directives
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Academic adjustments such as excusing absences, arrange extra time to complete academic requirements of a class or program, issuing Incomplete grades, retaking a class or withdrawing from a class, developing alternative assignments, permitting alternative assignments, and other reasonable adjustments to class sections, exams, tests, projects,deadlines, field trips, and any other required activities)
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Changes to advisor or PI, dissertation committee, class sections and similar schedule adjustments
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Changes to on-campus housing
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Access to temporary housing
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Changes in work schedule, workstation, work location, unit, department, or position
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Assistance with applying for civil protection order from a court
- Access to campus services generally, including academic tutoring, counseling, disability services, health and mental health services, housing assistance, legal assistance, referral to employee assistance program, and information about the right to report a crime to campus or local law enforcement.
How to request supportive measures
To discuss and request supportive or protective measures after experiencing discrimination or harassment, please contact the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination.
Requests for supportive measures can also come from a number of campus offices. For more information about requesting supportive measures for anyone who has experienced SVSH, please visit the Academic & Workplace Supportive Measures page of the campus Addressing SVSH hub website and the UC SVSH Policy. For more information about requesting supportive measures for other types of protected category discrimination or harassment, please refer to the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.
For general information and resources related to accommodations and supportive measures, please visit the Academic Accommodations Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the impacted person have to participate in a formal investigation in order to request supportive measures?
OPHD can assist students and employees with supportive measures whether or not the student or employee chooses to participate in a formal investigation or an alternative resolution. Students and employees are entitled to request reasonable supportive measures without the need to disclose everything that happened in detail to OPHD.
Is the respondent notified when a supportive measure is requested?
In general, supportive measures that are deemed appropriate for a complainant can be put in place WITHOUT the complainant participating in any resolution process and WITHOUT notifying the respondent of the report as long as the supportive measures change or impact only the complainant’s circumstances, without impacting the respondent.
The complainant does not need to participate in any resolution process in order to put in place a no-contact directive. However, the respondent must be notified of the report, the complainant’s identity, and the conditions of the no-contact directive in order for the respondent to comply with the directive.
With some exceptions, any measures that would change, restrict, or otherwise impact a respondent’s circumstances or would be part of disciplinary measures requires a complainant’s participation in a formal process.
Failure to accommodate
If a student or employee encounters issues with their requested accommodation, or the University fails to provide reasonable accommodations to individuals when required by law, please contact OPHD for assistance.