University leaders are reminding students, faculty and staff about the many campus resources that are available to people who have experienced bias, discrimination or racial harassment.
People have several ways to learn about support and reporting options, both confidential and nonconfidential. Those include:
- The student-focused Respect website
- The faculty and staff-focused website of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity
While the websites tend to focus on specific audiences, anyone may use any of the resources to learn about available support, help and reporting options.
“The goal is to ensure that if you need help, you will get it,” said Kris Winter, dean of students. “We have worked very hard with our partners across campus and in the community to create a web of services and reporting options for people who may want to talk to a live person or look through a website to see what is available. We don’t want anyone falling through the cracks.”
In the fall, the Office of the Dean of Students created a website dedicated to inclusion and respect. The resources on the Respect.uoregon.edu website are for UO students in particular, with additional resources for faculty, staff or visitors who are supporting a student who has experienced bias, discrimination, or discriminatory harassment.
The website provides information about the possible courses of action available to students who have experienced harassment or discrimination. With a list of resources both on and off campus along with details about confidentiality, the Respect website is designed to give students who have experienced discrimination or harassment control over the response and services they receive.
The website also connects to departments across campus that can assist faculty, staff and other members of the campus community who feel they are experiencing bias, discrimination or discriminatory harassment.
The Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity serves faculty, staff and students who have concerns about discrimination or harassment. The UO recently updated the office's website to make it easier to navigate and connect with services.
The website affirms the university’s commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and harassment. The redesigned website includes resources and services to help students, employees and campus community members raise a concern or make a report.
The website explains the coordinated effort between the office and the Title IX coordinator on issues of gender-based discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual assault and sexual violence. It also shares information about the complaint procedures to bring transparency to the process. A list of confidential and non-confidential resources are available for both students and employees.
UO leaders have taken a strong stance against racism, xenophobia, sexism and other forms of discrimination. President Michael Schill, Provost Scott Coltrane and all of the UO’s other administrative and academic leaders as well as the University Senate signed on to a strong statement in support of diversity and inclusion at the UO. The university took the stance following concerns expressed by some on campus about strong rhetoric surrounding the presidential election and racial incidents on campus and around the nation.