Staff & Faculty: Mandatory Reporting

At AUM, the safety and security of our students is a top priority. It is important that you know the expectation in your role as staff and faculty. University employees who have the authority to take action to redress the harassment, have the duty to report harassment or other types of misconduct to appropriate officials, or who a student could reasonably believe has this authority or responsibility are considered to be Responsible Employees.

A report of an incident that violates safety and security on our campus, made to any AUM employee, is considered official notice to the University.

We encourage all staff and faculty to review the areas below for more information.

Mandatory Reporting

There may be a time when an employee or AUM representative becomes aware of behaviors that are disruptive or of concern.  In situations that could involve harassment of any type, we are required by law to take action. Additionally, employees and those representing AUM have to consider that they are not necessarily privy to all the information (similar incidents, past decisions, new rulings, etc.) needed to make the necessary determinations in these types of situations. As such, in order to protect everyone, each person should notify the Office of Human Resources and Affirmative Action immediately once they are made aware or receive a complaint of:

Please note that there is no specific language that the student or employee must use. However, if there is a belief or suspicion that an incident has occurred, send the employee or student to the Office of Human Resources and Affirmative Action and follow-up with the Chief HR Officer at 334-244-3639 to personally ensure that the situation has been redirected appropriately. The Office of Human Resources and Affirmative Action works closely with the leadership on our campus in a vigilant effort to prevent and immediately respond to violations and ensure a culture and a workplace free from discriminatory and harassing behaviors.

Confidentiality 

• If a student requests that his or her name not be used, all reasonable steps will be taken to respond and investigate consistent with the request, so long as doing so does not prevent the school from responding effectively and preventing the harassment of other students or the complainant. This does limit the University’s ability to respond.
• If a student desires that details of the incident be kept confidential, the student should speak with on-campus counselors, campus health service providers, or off-campus rape crisis resources who can maintain confidentiality.
• Students are encouraged to speak to officials of the institution to make formal reports of incidents (i.e. deans, senior staff, or other administrators with supervisory responsibilities, Campus Security Authorities, the Title IX Coordinator, Deputy Title IX Coordinators, and human resources). The University considers these people to be “responsible employees” and notice to them is official notice to the institution.

Academic Accommodations and Interim Measures 
As an employee, your services may be required to facilitate an accommodation for a student. Those requests may include, but are not limited to:

• Academic Schedules: Any student who has been affected by sex/gender discrimination or harassment who wishes to change his/her classroom or academic situation may discuss various options. Options include total University withdrawal, discrete course withdrawal, the ability to retake a class, receive tutoring or change the section.
• Campus Room or Apartment: Any student who has been affected by sex/gender discrimination or harassment has the option of changing his/her on-campus housing assignment if alternate housing is reasonably available. If not, other options can be considered.
• Interim Protective Measures: The University may take interim steps for the complainant as necessary before the final outcome of an investigation. Measures include, but are not limited to, no contact agreements, no trespass orders, interim suspension, and temporary removal from University housing may be taken if deemed appropriate.

Bystander Intervention 
All members of the AUM community are responsible for contributing to a safe and welcoming environment. The following steps can be taken by anyone to ensure our campus remains as safe as possible.

• Remember that no one has the right to be violent, even if two people are dating.
• Be honest and direct whenever possible.
• Speak up when you hear threatening language.
• Hold people accountable for their actions.
• Respectfully challenge comments that are inappropriate.
• Recruit help if necessary.

Stay safe and if things get out of hand or become too serious, contact campus police at 334-244-3424.