1. Policy Statement
1.1. Responsible Employees have an obligation to report incidents of Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA). This policy describes the duties and actions required of Responsible Employees in responding to and reporting such incidents.
2. Reason for Policy
2.1. Oregon State University is committed to creating and maintaining an equitable and inclusive working and learning environment free of Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, and Sexual Misconduct. This policy supports the university’s ability to respond appropriately to conduct that may violate University Policy.
2.2. The term Responsible Employee is a university designation in alignment with state and federal law and university values.1
3. Scope & Audience
3.1. All university employees are Responsible Employees and must immediately report to EOA any Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct that may violate University Policy, regardless of when or how they learned of the information. Exceptions to this requirement include:
3.1.1. Student employees are only required to report Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct to EOA when they become aware of it while acting within their student employment role.
3.1.2. Employees are not required to self-report incidents in which they are the victim or target of Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct.
3.1.3. Employees who serve in a professional role in which their communication is privileged by law, or recognized as exempt by the university for the purpose of this University Policy, are exempt from internal reporting requirements when the information is discovered while acting in that professional role. See Section 5.3 of this University Policy for additional information.
4. Definitions
4.1. Complainant: A person who is alleged to have been subjected to conduct that could constitute Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct.
4.2. Sexual Misconduct: See University Policy 05-001 Sexual Misconduct and Discrimination.
4.3. Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment: See University Policy 04-100 Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment and University Policy 05-001 Sexual Misconduct and Sex Discrimination “Discrimination” and “Discriminatory Harassment” as used in this University Policy may refer to discrimination and discriminatory harassment as described in University Policy 05-001 Sexual Misconduct and Sex Discrimination, or discrimination and discriminatory harassment as described in University Policy 04-100 Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment.
4.4. Retaliation: See University Policy 04-110 Retaliation.
5. Responsibilities & Procedures
5.1. Role of Responsible Employees in Reporting Incidents of Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, and Sexual Misconduct
5.1.1. Responsible Employees must immediately report to EOA all known details of actual or suspected Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct when they become aware of or have reason to believe that a violation of University Policy may have occurred.
5.1.2. A Responsible Employee is required to immediately report any form of Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct as defined by University Policy that:
a. Is being or has been experienced or perpetrated by
i. A university student during their time as a student,
ii. A university employee and the incident is reasonably related to their employment,
iii. A university volunteer and the incident is reasonably related to their volunteer status, or
iv. Any other university-affiliated individual (including, but not limited to, a visiting or postdoctoral scholar or fellow, honorary or emeritus faculty member, or contractor) and the incident is reasonably related to their university-affiliated status;
b. Has occurred on university property; or
c. Occurred during a university activity or event.
5.1.3. Employees must immediately report all known details about the alleged incident, including:
a. The names of the Complainant(s), alleged perpetrator(s), and any witnesses if known;
b. The date, time, and specific location of the alleged incident; and
c. Any other relevant information.
5.1.4. Employees should not attempt to investigate the alleged incident. Instead, responsible employees are to report all information to EOA.
5.1.5. The failure of an employee to report actual or suspected Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct to EOA can be cause for disciplinary action up to and including termination.
5.2. Privacy and Confidentiality of Complainants
5.2.1. Employees are to respect the privacy of the Complainant by not asking detailed or invasive questions or by sharing the Complainant’s disclosure with others who do not have a business need to know.
5.2.2. Where practicable, before a Complainant reveals any information to an employee, the employee must inform the Complainant of the employee’s reporting obligations.
a. If the Complainant wishes to maintain confidentiality, the employee must direct the Complainant to an employee exempt from internal reporting.
b. The employee must inform the Complainant that the Complainant can report the misconduct to EOA, to law enforcement, or to both, or to neither.
5.3. Employees Exempt from Internal Reporting
5.3.1. Exemptions from this internal reporting requirement exist for certain employees who serve in a professional role in which their communication is privileged by law or recognized as exempt by the university for the purpose of this policy and when the information is discovered while acting in that professional role. Employees exempt from internal reporting under this policy may still have requirements to report certain information to other offices or external entities (e.g., mandatory reporting of child abuse, for purposes of Clery Act statistics, threats to public safety, or imminent risk of serious harm). When an office of notice receives information from an exempt employee, that office must then report to EOA.
5.3.2. Employees exempt from the Responsible Employee reporting requirement include:
a. Employees of the Center for Advocacy, Prevention & Education (CAPE), the Office of Advocacy, OSU Assist, the University Ombuds Office, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and OSU’s seven cultural resource centers;
b. Licensed health care professionals with Student Health Services, Student Health and Wellness at OSU-Cascades, and Athletics;
c. Bias Response Team coordinators within the Office of Institutional Diversity (OID);
d. Employees conducting Institutional Review Board-approved human-subjects research designed to gather information about Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct. These employees are only exempt with respect to information received while conducting their research study; and
e. Employees whose job duties include providing operational, administrative, or other support functions to employees with the primary responsibility to deliver confidential or exempt services are also exempt from reporting to the extent they learn of the allegations because of their assistance in the delivery of confidential or exempt services.
5.3.3. Employees exempt from internal reporting must explain to any person who informs them of conduct that reasonably may constitute Discrimination, Discriminatory Harassment, Retaliation, or Sexual Misconduct:
a. That the employee is exempt from the requirement to report to EOA. However, that employee can still assist the person in reporting to EOA, anonymously or not, should that person wish to do so;
b. How the individual can contact EOA to make a complaint, including that they can file an anonymous complaint; and
c. That EOA may be able to offer and coordinate supportive measures, as well as initiate an informal resolution process or an investigation.
5.3.4. If an employee is unsure if they are performing in a professional role exempt from internal reporting requirements, they should contact EOA for guidance.
6.0 Related Policies, Procedures, or Information
6.1. Equal Opportunity and Access reporting form
6.2. Reporting FAQs
6.3. University Policy 05-001 Sexual Misconduct and Discrimination
6.4. University Policy: 04-100 Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment
6.5. University Policy: 04-110 Retaliation
History
Adopted: Oregon State University adopted University Policy 05-005 Responsible Employees and Reporting Incidents of Sexual Misconduct and Discrimination on September 18, 2018.
Revised: University Policy 05-005 Responsible Employees and Reporting Incidents of Sexual Misconduct and Discrimination received housekeeping amendments in August 2020, April 2023, May 2023, and August 2024. It was reviewed, revised and renamed Responsible Employees on August 11, 2025.
Next scheduled review date: August 2030.
Contacts
Office of Equal Opportunity and Access
Website (with an online reporting form): eoa.oregonstate.edu
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 541-737-3556
Physical location: 2150 SW Jefferson Way, 330 Snell Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331
Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
1 Please contact EOA for information on employees who are designated as “officials with authority,” as defined by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Campus Security Authorities and as defined by the Clery Act; or “mandatory reporters of abuse or neglect,” as defined by State of Oregon law. These designations are different than Responsible Employees as defined by this policy.