Responsible Employee

The university is dedicated to campus safety and compliance with federal laws regarding sexual discrimination and misconduct. The university is obligated to respond to any notice that sexual misconduct may have occurred whether the notice is given through a filed grievance; a report by the complainant or other person knowledgeable of the incident made to faculty, staff, administration, law enforcement or other employee; or by a member of the university community who witnesses sexual misconduct. A school’s failure to take prompt and effective corrective action in such cases would violate Title IX.

A school must inform all employees of their reporting responsibilities and the importance of informing complainants of: the reporting obligations of responsible employees; complainants’ option to request confidentiality and any available confidential advocacy, counseling, or other support services; and complainants’ right to file a Title IX complaint with the school and to simultaneously report a crime to campus or local law enforcement. Annual reminders will be sent out by the president or chancellors.

University employees have always had the responsibility to report sexual misconduct under Title IX, but until 2015 the university had not explicitly taken steps to inform them of their duty. The university is legally and ethically obligated to ensure that employees understand what that designation means and provide them with the resources to carry out their duty should it become necessary.

According to 2001 Guidance from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) a responsible employee includes any employee: who has the authority to take action to redress sexual misconduct; who has been given the duty of reporting incidents of sexual violence or any other misconduct by students to the Title IX coordinator or other appropriate school designee; or whom a student could reasonably believe has this authority or duty. At the University of ÐßÐßÊÓƵthat includes all staff, all faculty and Residence Life student employees except those confidential or student employees described below.

OCR does not require campus mental-health counselors, pastoral counselors, social workers, psychologists or other person with a professional license requiring confidentiality who are working within that license to report incidents of sexual misconduct to the school in a way that identifies the student without the student’s consent. The counselor-client relationship is respected, and confidentiality ensured, so that students will seek the help they need.

Student employees, with the exception of those working in Residence Life, are not designated responsible employees at the University of Alaska. However, all members of the university community are encouraged to report any suspected instances of sexual misconduct.