A Step-by-Step Description of the Process
Our informal process is fairly fluid and depends to some extent on what you tell us regarding what you want to see happen. But note: there will be a few situations where the Office is required to take some kind of remedial action regardless of your preferences, as would any representative of the university.
- The first thing we’re going to do is talk with you and listen to your story. Questions we may ask include:
- What happened, and why do you think it’s inequitable or discriminatory?
- Who, if anyone, witnessed these events?
- To your knowledge, has this ever occurred to other people?
- What steps have you already taken to address the problem?
- We may ask you to complete a couple forms. We do this (1) to help us keep track of this case, but also (2) so that we can create a database and track issues over time (for example, have there been multiple complaints about the same professor or supervisor? How many sexual harassment cases did we have this year compared to last?).
- Based on this information, we’re going to talk to you about your options. If you are showing signs of stress, for example, we will want to make sure you know about counseling and other health-related options. If your problem relates to certain specialized areas, such as disability or sexual orientation, we may suggest you consult with other experts on campus. And of course, if informal resolution through the Equity office is not really the best course of action, we’ll tell you that and connect you with the person who can be of more assistance.
- Having heard your story and discussed some options, we will then have to decide jointly with you what the next steps should be. Every case is different. Maybe all you want is advice or a referral. Or maybe the issue can be resolved simply through communication and education of the parties. Maybe we will need to take some immediate action to physically remove you from a bad situation. Or maybe this office will need to do an informal investigation.