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Mandatory Reporting

Confidential Options

If you would like to speak with a confidential resource on campus, you are strongly encouraged to reach out to University Counseling, the Campus Health Clinic, and the Office of Religious Life for pastoral counseling. The YWCA of Oklahoma City also provides 24/7 free and confidential support.

Mandatory Reporting

Under our Non-Discrimination Policy, many of our employees are required to report any known or suspected Title IX issue to the Title IX Coordinator within 24 hours. The information below is intended to be a resource for employees who are considered mandatory reporters and assist them in understanding their responsibilities.

This information may also be useful for members of our community wanting to learn more about their options, including who would be a mandatory reporter and what talking with a mandatory reporter about a Title IX issue would mean. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact the Title IX Coordinator or a member of the Title IX Resource Team. You do not need to provide your name or identifying information in order to ask questions about your rights.

1. What is mandatory reporting?

Mandatory reporters are employees on campus who must report known or suspected reports of sex discrimination in our community to the Title IX Coordinator. They are obligated to provide all known information about the report, including identifying information. This responsibility extends to reports of sex discrimination made by students as well as those made by employees.

If you are a mandatory reporter, you may receive a report of a Title IX issue directly from the reporting party (or alleged victim) in person, over the phone, through e-mail. You may also become aware of Title IX issues involving our community through rumor, gossip, or social media. Even if you suspect there is an issue but have not received direct notice, you must share that information with the Title IX Coordinator as soon as possible.

You can learn more about what Title IX addresses here, through our policy page, or by contacting a Title IX administrator.

2. Why do we have to report?

We want to foster a community where people take care of one another, and part of that is making sure everyone in our community knows where to go when they are struggling. Most issues that are addressed under Title IX, such as sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, and stalking, all take control away from the victim. Once OCU’s Title IX administrators are aware of a report, they can provide information to the reporting party about their rights under the law, their options for support, and possible resolutions to the matter so they can make informed choices. Our priority is ensuring our campus is a safe environment and that our students and employees can continue to succeed.

3. Who do I have to report to?

All reports of known or suspected Title IX issues must be submitted to the Title IX Coordinator within 24 hours of the time you become aware of the issue. You are also welcome to contact the Civil Rights Investigator or a member of the Title IX resource team, who will share the report with the Title IX Coordinator as soon as possible. Contact information for the Title IX Coordinator and other Title IX administrators is located on the Title IX home page.

4. Does it matter if I’m exempt or non-exempt?

No, the reporting responsibilities for professional staff are the same for exempt and non-exempt staff. As an OCU employee, you are a representative of the University, even when you are away from work. You are required to report Title IX issues you become aware of outside of normal working hours and off campus property when they involve a member of our community or someone accessing our programs, services, or campus.

5. How do I know if a Title IX issue was reported to me?

Title IX addresses a wide range of issues. Generally speaking, the issue likely falls under Title IX if a student, employee, or visitor to campus tells you about an unwanted behavior that is based on sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), that is sexual in nature, or that involves individuals in a current or former romantic or sexual relationship. If any of those criteria are met, per OKCU policy you must report the issue to the Title IX Coordinator within 24 hours.

If you are not sure if what was reported to you falls under Title IX, please contact a Title IX administrator within 24 hours to discuss the report. If the issue is not addressed by Title IX, our administrators can help you identify appropriate resources and reporting options.

6. I’m a student worker. Am I a mandatory reporter?

OCU's policy statement on mandatory reporting applies to student workers. However, the reporting responsibilities of student workers are somewhat different than those of professional staff and faculty members.

If you are a student worker who is paid hourly, you will only be required to report any known or suspected Title IX issue when someone reports the issue to you during a work shift OR when someone reports to you specifically because of your student worker position. In each instance, they are reporting the issue to you in your capacity as an employee. That is why you are considered a mandatory reporter in those circumstances.

Student workers such as Resident Assistants, those who are paid on a stipend, or other student workers considered to be always acting in their capacity as an employee, the requirement to report Title IX issues is more broad. For example, RAs would always be required to report issues brought to their attention by students in their residence hall. If you have any questions about your responsibility to report as a student worker, you are strongly encouraged to speak with a Title IX administrator.

7. Do I have to report my own victimization?

No. Your safety and well-being are very important to the University, and we want to make sure you have all the information you need about your options for resolving the matter through OCU policies. If you are a victim of sex or gender-based discrimination, harassment, or violence, you are encouraged to report the issue to the University. You may also delay reporting the issue until you are ready, you may report anonymously, and/or you can find confidential support on and/or off-campus.

8. Are there any exceptions?

Yes. Under OCU policies, you do not have to report known or suspected Title IX issue if:

  1. You have a license that grants you confidentiality per Oklahoma state law (examples of individuals with such a license include social workers, mental health counselors, doctors, attorneys, and pastoral counselors), AND
  2. You were hired by OCU to operate under that license and were acting under it when you received a report.

Both conditions must be met for you to be exempt from mandatory reporting. OCU staff that are exempt from mandatory reporting include the counselors at University Counseling, Chapel staff, and the Campus Health Center.

Individuals that have a dual role are only exempt from this policy when they are acting in their capacity as a confidential service provider. For example, OCU’s Student Health Center is operated by faculty in the University’s Physician Assistant program. This means those faculty members have a dual role: they are both educators and healthcare providers that are licensed to practice in the state of Oklahoma. When they are staffing the Health Center, they are acting under their license, so they are confidential under the law and exempt from mandatory reporting.

For example, if a faculty member receives a report of a Title IX issue while they are working as licensed healthcare provider in the Health Center, they would be a confidential resource. They would not share information about the report with the Title IX Coordinator unless they have a release of information from the reporting party. If the same faculty member were to speak with one of their students during office hours, they would not be acting under their license. If that student reported a Title IX issue to the faculty member, they would have to share that information with the Title IX Coordinator.

9. What if someone tells me about a Title IX issue only because they wanted help identifying confidential resources?

Once you become aware of a Title IX issue, you are required to report it to a Title IX administrator, even if a student or employee insists they do not want to make the University aware. OCU’s Title IX administrators can work with individuals to ensure they have a good understanding of their rights, their resources on and off-campus (including law enforcement), as well as their options for addressing the issue through University policy.

If you suspect because of someone’s body language or the way they are communicating that they are about to disclose a possible Title IX issue, please notify them you are a mandatory reporter as soon as possible if you have not already done so. There may also be ways to proactively notify members of our community. Whenever possible, we want reporting to be a choice. When you notify someone you are a mandatory reporter, you may also advise them of confidential resources they can access.