Why Report
The decision to report discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct or retaliation is personal for each individual.
Your first priority should be to take care of yourself and use helpful resources.
Benefits of Reporting
- Reporting does not necessarily mean an investigation will occur. Even if an investigation does occur, you can decide how much you will participate in that investigation.
- You can decide whether you will report the incident to UNI, law enforcement, both or neither.
- Reporting to OCRC allows you to obtain supportive measures like no contact orders, course and assignment schedule adjustment, housing relocation, assistance with transportation, work schedule adjustments, communication with financial aid, and other resources. You can use these interim measures whether or not you decide to participate in an investigation.
- Those reporting sexual assault, harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking will not be subject to disciplinary action for being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of the incident, so long as their use was not harmful to others.
- Reporting is an integral step in UNI’s efforts to prevent and respond to all forms of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct.
- Reporting to OCRC may initiate an investigation, which is the means by which UNI can hold its community members individually accountable if they are found responsible for committing acts of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct.
- While reporting anonymously limits UNI’s ability to respond to your individual report, it does provide UNI with more information about how these incidents occur in our community.
- Regardless of the outcome of a report, retaliating against someone for reporting or cooperating with a report is prohibited. UNI will take steps to protect you from and respond to any retaliation, regardless of the outcome of your report.
- For some people, reporting is a way to reassert control and action in your own life.
- Many perpetrators commit these crimes repeatedly. While your first obligation should be to your own welfare, some people find reporting to be an important part of their support for a larger community.
- You can decide to report at any time. The sooner you report, the more ways UNI can respond to support you and investigate your report.