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 Berkeley 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/or the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.
Who is a Responsible Employee?
In short, every UC Berkeley employee is a Responsible Employee unless they are a Confidential Resource. Student employees, such as Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) and Resident Assistants (RAs), are Responsible Employees.
When am I required to report?
When you learn, in the course of employment, that someone affiliated with UC Berkeley may have experienced conduct prohibited under UC's policies.
Please note that you may have additional reporting requirements, such as being a Campus Security Authority (CSA) under the Clery Act, and/or a mandated reporter under the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA). Please visit the "Understanding Reporting Obligations" resource for more information.
Where do I report?
Please report protected category discrimination and harassment to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD):
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Webform: https://uctitleix.i-sight.com/portal/Berkeley(link is external)
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Phone: 510-643-7985
What are my reporting requirements?
Your reporting obligation depends on your role on campus:
| Your role | What you must report to OPHD |
| All employees, including student employees | UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) Policy violations that were experienced by students. |
| Faculty, managers, and supervisors (additional obligations) |
experienced by anyone affiliated with the University. |
Check in on privacy and safety in the immediate environment
“Thank you for trusting me. Do you feel comfortable talking here or is there somewhere else you’d prefer?”
Remind them of reporting responsibilities
“Before we continue, it’s important you know that as a campus employee, if I learn of any incident of sexual violence or sexual harassment, I am required to share that information with OPHD. I’m letting you know this so that you can choose how much you want to share with me. I also want to let you know there are confidential resources available to you.”
Listen and express support
Listen actively and put away distractions. Allow for silence. You might say things such as:
“I know this might be difficult to talk about.”
“Wow, that is incredibly stressful and I can tell it’s taking a toll on you.”
“I will support whatever you decide to do.”
“I want to make sure you get the support you want and deserve.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Offer resources
“I’d like to connect you with the PATH to Care Center. Would you like to call them together?”
“There are a few resources available to you in this situation. Would you like to look at them together?”
Please provide the Notice of Rights and Options for Survivors of SVSH.
Share what you learned with OPHD
Document it if you need to.
You can tell the person what you need to share with OPHD:
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Who, what, when, where, how
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Name(s) and contact information for outreach
Take care of yourself
Learning that someone has been harmed can be difficult. It is common to feel angry, sad, anxious, overwhelmed, and to experience symptoms of vicarious trauma or a reactivation of your own traumatic experiences. Remember that there are resources available to support you as well. Please consider contacting the PATH to Care Center, Be Well at Work - Employee Assistance, or a student mental health counselor at University Health Services.
Responsible Employee FAQs
Can a Responsible Employee report anonymously?
No. While a Complainant or witness may report to OPHD anonymously, Responsible Employees may not report anonymously.
What happens after a report is made?
OPHD will assess the report. OPHD will then contact the impacted party to provide resources and information about the person’s rights and options for support and resolution. The impacted person will always have a choice whether or not to respond to outreach from OPHD and/or participate in an action or investigation.
You may see or work with the impacted person, as well as the parties involved in the misconduct, in the future. It is critical to maintain privacy and to avoid asking anyone about the OPHD report, case, or investigation. Your interactions with all parties involved should be kind, professional, and respectful.
Will Responsible Employees find out what happens in a case they reported?
Responsible Employees, witnesses, and other third parties will not be informed about the status of a case unless OPHD determines there is a need to know. The University prioritizes the privacy interests of those involved in reports as well as the integrity of complaint investigations and other resolution processes.
Where can I go if I have questions about Responsible Employees?
Anyone can contact OPHD by emailing ask_ophd@berkeley.edu or calling 510-643-7985.
What does reporting do to help me or other people?
A report enables the University to promptly address reports of discrimination and harassment by informing the individuals charged with taking action under University policy, thus helping foster a safer learning and working environment.
What are other reporting requirements, like a Campus Security Authority (CSA)?
An individual may have other reporting obligations, in addition to their obligations as a Responsible Employee. For example, a person may be considered a Campus Security Authority(link is external) (CSA) under the Clery Act and/or a Mandated Reporter under the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act(link is external) (CANRA).
Please see the Understanding Reporting Obligations page(link is external) for more information about various reporting obligations.
What if an incident must be reported to multiple offices?
If you are unsure where to report, please start with any office and reporting method you feel comfortable with. Reports made to any campus offices will be re-routed to the appropriate office(s) as necessary.
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.
What are exceptions to Responsible Employee requirements?
Responsible Employees do not need to report incidents disclosed during approved or exempt Institutional Review Board (IRB) research projects or public awareness events (e.g., "Take Back the Night").
Confidential resources on campus
When they receive a disclosure in their confidential capacity, the following campus resources are considered Confidential Resources, meaning they do not have Responsible Employee obligations.
- Advocates in the PATH to Care Center
- Counselors in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Social Services, and Be Well at Work - Employee Assistance
- Ombudspersons in the Ombuds Office for Students and Postdoctoral Appointees, the Staff Ombuds Office, and the Faculty Ombuds*.
*Please note that in conversations or mediations facilitated by a confidential resource, such as an Ombuds,Responsible Employee obligations still apply to the participants (other than the confidential resource). In a facilitated conversation, if a RE learns that prohibited conduct has occurred, they are required to share it with OPHD.
For more information, please visit the Where to Get Support resource guides.