Employee Frequently Asked Questions
What is Title IX? Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a Civil Rights law. "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational programs or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Title IX is covered under the University of Houston System Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Sexual Misconduct Policy.
What is sexual misconduct? Sexual misconduct as defined by UH System policy includes sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual intimidation, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
What does Title IX mean for UHV? Whenever we know of or suspect that an incident of sexual misconduct has or is occurring, the University is required to take appropriate action in an effort to eliminate Sexual Misconduct from happening, to prevent its recurrence, and address its effects.
Does the sexual misconduct policy just cover students? No, the UH System Sexual Misconduct Policy covers students, faculty, staff, and visitors to campus.
What is my role as an employee? As an employee, you are required to report any known or suspected incident of Sexual Misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator or Assistant Title IX Coordinator and to cooperate with the procedures for responding to complaints. The only employees who are not required to report are the counselors in the UHV Counseling Center who have professional licensure.
What should I do if I receive a report? 1. You should disclose that you are not confidential and will have to report. 2. Explain that you are there to help by listening, supporting, documenting, and reporting to university officials who can help. 3. Offer to connect them with confidential resources if they prefer (UHV Counseling Center). 4. Avoid making the person feel like you don't want to talk to them.
If I get a report from a student, what questions should I ask? You can ask 3 primary questions:
1. Are you physically hurting? You can call Elena Torres, UHV's Confidential Advisor, if a student needs medical care or 911 if a student needs emergency care. If it's not an emergency and the student is reluctant for you to call anyone, encourage the student to follow up.
2. Do you Feel Safe? Your definition of unsafe may not match theirs. Their version is the one that matters. If the person has immediate safety concerns, Sergeant Gammon or Title IX Coordinators can help create a safety plan.
3. What can I do for you? You don't need the details of what happened to offer support. Be patient--let them talk. Try to determine what immediate resources they need. It's alright if you don't have next steps. Just make a report to the Title IX Coordinators.
If I get a report from an employee, what should I do? Listen to that employee, but remind them that you are required to report to Title IX. Encourage the employee to report to speak with Title IX Coordinators and to seek help through the UT Employee Assistance Program if they need counseling 713-500-3327 or toll free 800-346-3549.
What if I want to remain anonymous? You can report an incident of alleged Sexual Misconduct through a secure web-based reporting system call MySafeCampus, which allows the option of anonymity. The web address for MySafeCampus is http://www.mysafecampus.com. However, the reporter should know that, during the course of a MySafeCampus investigation, his or her identity may be discovered. If that occurs, the report will receive the same confidentiality safeguards offered to those who make a formal report under this Policy.