Responsible Employee Supplemental Guidance for Faculty, Managers, and Supervisors

Faculty, managers and supervisors (including Deans and Department Chairs), and HR and Academic Personnel professionals have special responsibilities when they learn of discrimination and harassment, including sexual violence. Along with the Responsible Employee guidance for everyone, this page provides supplemental information specific to these roles.

Responding to an incident in your department as a leader

You are encouraged to consult. 

Many offices, such as OPHD and PATH to Care can help.

Inform department members of available support resources.

Please provide The following are confidential resources. 

Respect the survivor’s privacy.

Please do not discuss the matter with other people who do not have a legitimate need to know. If you’re unsure, OPHD can help determine if anyone else needs to receive the information. 

Formal and informal resolution options are available through OPHD.

If departments need to take independent disciplinary action, they are advised to consult OPHD. Please see the "Responding to an Incident in Your Organization/Department" page for more information.

Reminder of reporting obligations

You must notify the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) if you learn, in the course of your job, that any individual affiliated with the University may have experienced sexual violence and sexual harassment (SVSH) and/or discrimination and harassment based on a protected category.

If someone discloses discrimination and harassment to you, it is crucial that you:

  • Listen and express compassion
  • Connect the person with resources
  • Share what you learned with OPHD

The Responsible Employees page provides tips and examples of how to do this. As a refresher of the key points: 

  • Let the person know that you are not a confidential resource.
  • Please do not attempt to investigate.
  • Reporting enables the University to address and prevent harm and ensures impacted parties receive information about their options and resources.

Additional Resources