The Title IX handout for University employees includes information about how to respond to a report of harassment, misconduct, or violence and a summary of resources (printable).
For mandatory training required of all University of Portland employees please visit the Human Resources page .
Further educational training opportunities may be found by contacting our key staff contacts.
If you have any questions about a specific incident, such as whether it is something you should report, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Title IX Team.
Unless you are a confidential employee, you are required to report any suspected Title IX violation to the Title IX Team immediately.
View the Summary for Employees handout to learn how to respond when a student makes a report.
Remember:
Step 1 - SUPPORT. Offer support non-judgmentally and with empathy.
Step 2 - SAFETY. Assess for safety.
Step 3 - CONFIDENTIALITY. Inform about the limits of confidentiality to conversation.
Step 4 - RESOURCES. Refer to appropriate resources.
Step 5 - REPORT. Report to the Title IX Office.
The following employees are obligated to report student disclosures to the University if they receive information about potential prohibited conduct. Therefore, these University employees are considered responsible employees by the University. Students may choose to connect with these offices and individuals if they want the University to engage its Title IX processes and policies.
If a campus administrator, faculty member, or staff member is not specifically designated as a Confidential Employee as described below, the individual has a duty to report information to the Title IX Office. Individuals on campus who have a duty to report are sometimes referred to as “Responsible Employees.”
The following are specific University offices, employees, and University community members who have a duty to report information to the Title IX Office or engage in Title IX processes such as investigations:
Title IX Office
See Title IX Team
800.745.3261 (Toll free) or 503.943.8982
titleix@up.edu
Waldschmidt Hall, Fifth Floor
Residence Life Office
All staff at Residence Life including the Director of Residence Life, Residence Life administrative office staff, hall directors, assistant hall directors, and resident assistants
503.943.7205
reslife@up.edu
Residence Life Website
Tyson Hall 123
Student Conduct Office, including:
Tyler Hale, Associate Director for Community Standards
503.943.7851
halet@up.edu
Student Conduct Website
Tyson Hall 123
Campus Safety Office
All staff at Campus Safety Office including the Director of Campus Safety, Campus Safety Officers, and Dispatchers, and any other Campus Safety staff member
503.943.7161
campussafety@up.edu
Campus Safety Website
Haggerty Hall 100
All University employees with administrative and management duties: president and vice presidents, associate vice presidents, provost and associate/assistant provosts, and deans and associate/assistant deans.
All University employees with any type of supervisory duty (including supervisory duties overseeing student employees). However, if an employee in this category is specifically designated a Confidential Resource, that employee does not have a duty to report information to the Title IX office.
All University faculty. However, if an employee in this category is specifically designated a Confidential Resource, that employee does not have a duty to report information to the Title IX office.
All administrative staff in the Office of Residence Life, hall directors, assistance hall directors, and resident assistants.
All athletics staff, including all coaching staff.
All non-HCC counselors, such as academic counselors at the University’s schools and academic counselors assigned to the Athletics Department.
Important Information About Confidentiality
If a campus administrator, faculty member, or staff member is not specifically designated as a Confidential Resource as described below, the individual has a duty to report information to the Title IX Office.
The University recognizes not every individual will want to or be prepared to make a formal report to the University or to law enforcement. Students seeking to talk to someone about an incident of sexual or gender-based harassment, misconduct, or violence in a confidential manner without making a report to the University or initiating any investigation or action by the University or the police can access confidential resources as outlined and described in this policy below.
When information is shared with a resource on campus, the level of confidentiality that can be provided by a resource depends on (i) whether the resource has been designated a confidential employee, and (ii) whether there are any exceptions to that resource’s ability to maintain confidentiality.
In this section, we have listed on-campus resources that have been designated as confidential by the University for purpose of the University’s reporting policies and processes. In addition to setting out contact information for the resources, information has been provided about any exceptions to confidentiality. Information about the extent of confidentiality and exceptions to confidentiality can be complicated. If a student has questions or concerns about confidentiality, the University encourages students to ask these questions directly to confidential employees before sharing information that the student wishes to keep confidential.
All confidential resources on campus will be marked as a confidential employees for Title IX purposes on the University’s directory.
HCC Counselors
(503) 943-7134
hcc@up.edu
HCC Website
Orrico Hall
ProtoCall (after hours support)
(503) 943-7134, option 3 (outside HCC office hours)
Other HCC Staff
Wellness Education & Prevention Program Coordinator, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurse, Medical Assistant, and Medical Office Administrator.
(503) 943-7134
hcc@up.edu
HCC Website
Orrico Hall
ProvRN (Nurse Advice Line)
(503) 574-6520
Important Note About Confidentiality
There are a few exceptions to confidentiality when information is shared with HCC counselors, ProtoCall, and HCC staff. They may need to disclose information to others when: (1) a student shares intent to harm oneself or someone else; (2) a student shares information about current abuse or neglect of a minor or vulnerable adult; or (3) a court order orders disclosure. If the student is under the age of 18, University employees are required to report certain information shared because they are state-mandated reporters of child abuse. Outside of these exceptions, the University will treat information shared with HCC counselors, ProtoCall, and HCC staff confidentially.
Please note, any information shared with HCC counselors, ProtoCall, and HCC staff is held in the strictest confidence. Generally, courts recognize the confidentiality of information shared with counselors, although there may be exceptions. Many courts also recognize the confidentiality of information shared with a medical practitioner, although there may be exceptions.
It is likely that information shared with HCC staff who are not counselors or medical practitioners will not be treated as confidential by courts. This means, for example, that if a civil or criminal case develops, the employee could still be called as a witness or required to turn over any related documents or notes the employee keeps in a court proceeding.
Campus Ministry Staff
503-943-7131
ministry@up.edu
Campus Ministry Website
Main office at St. Mary’s
Priests serving on campus, including those serving as:
Pastoral Residents
Faculty (not including priests with University-wide administrative duties)
Staff (not including priests with University-wide administrative duties)
Note: Priests with University-wide administrative duties (the President, Vice Presidents, and any other position serving on the President’s Leadership Cabinet) have the discretion to receive information under the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession but otherwise are not confidential resources. If a student speaks with a priest who has University-wide administrative duties and the communication is outside such sacraments, the report will not be treated confidentially, and the priest will need to report any potential Title IX matter to the Title IX Office. Communications that are within the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession will be treated confidentially.
Pastoral resident directory
Staff/Faculty directory
Holy Cross directory
Important Information About Confidentiality
There are a few exceptions to confidentiality when information is shared with campus ministers and priests. Campus ministers and priests may need to disclose information to others when: (1) a student shares intent to harm oneself or someone else; (2) a student shares information about current abuse or neglect of a minor or vulnerable adult; or (3) a court order orders disclosure. Except for these exceptions, the University will treat information shared with campus ministers and priests confidentially.
Please note, any information shared with a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (also referred to as the Sacrament of Confession) is held in the strictest confidence. Generally, courts will likely recognize the confidentiality of information shared with priests under the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession, although there may be exceptions.
It is likely that information shared with Campus Ministry staff or with priests outside of the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession will not be treated as confidential by courts. This means, for example, that if a civil or criminal case develops, the employee could still be called as a witness or required to turn over any related documents or notes the employee keeps in a court proceeding.
Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. Sexual harassment can occur via writings, visual forms, and verbal or physical conduct. Sexual or gender-related conduct will violate this policy if it is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent that it either (1) denies, interferes with, or limits a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s programs or activities; or (2) creates a learning, working, or living environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or offensive.
The following are some examples of conduct that may be considered sexual harassment:
All forms of sexual contact without consent are considered sexual misconduct. Certain forms of sexual misconduct are also considered sexual assault.
Examples of sexual misconduct and sexual assault include, but are not limited to:
Sexual misconduct also includes, but is not limited to:
Consent means informed, freely, and voluntarily given mutual agreement understood by both parties and communicated by clearly understandable words or actions, to participate in each form of sexual activity. Consent will not be assumed by silence, incapacitation due to alcohol or drugs, unconsciousness, sleep, cognitive or mental incapacitation, physical impairment, or lack of active resistance.
A current or previous dating or sexual relationship is not sufficient to constitute consent, and consent to one form of sexual activity does not imply consent to other forms of sexual activity. Ultimately, consent must be freely and voluntarily communicated, verbally and/or physically, for every sexual act.
There is no consent where:
Coercion is the use of an unreasonable amount of pressure to gain sexual access. It is more than an effort to persuade, entice, or attract another person to engage in sexual activity. To determine whether coercion occurred, factors taken into consideration are: (i) the frequency of the application of pressure, (ii) the intensity of the pressure, (iii) the degree of isolation of the person being pressured, and (iv) the duration of the pressure. A finding of coercion also generally involves either the use of physical force or the threat of harm. Harm can include, but is not limited to, physical harm, harm to social relationships or reputation, financial harm, harm to terms and conditions of employment or academic situation, or other types of leverage created from the threat of harm.
Threat is a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on a person in retribution for something done or not done.
Intimidation is verbal or physical conduct that forces another person to do or not do some action by inducing fear.
Physical force is a physical act of power, violence, or pressure directed against another person.
Position of authority generally refers to a position with institutional or institution-related power. Examples are: employment-related supervisor, resident advisor, and athletic team captain.
An incapacitated person is incapable of giving consent. A person is incapacitated if that person is in a physical or mental state such that he or she lacks the ability to make a knowing and deliberate choice to engage in the sexual interaction. For the purposes of this policy, a person who is asleep or unconscious is incapacitated, without exception. A person may also become incapacitated due to other factors, which may include the use of alcohol and/or drugs to such a degree that the person no longer has the ability to make a knowing or deliberate choice to engage in the sexual interaction. Engaging in sexual activity with a person whom an individual knows, or should reasonably know, to be incapacitated constitutes a violation. If there is a question about whether the reporting party was incapacitated, the relevant standard is whether the respondent knew, or a reasonable person not under the influence of a judgment-impairing substance in the respondent’s position should have known, that the reporting party was incapacitated and therefore could not consent to the sexual activity.
Consumption of alcohol or drugs is not by itself sufficient to establish incapacitation. Therefore, each incident will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Incapacitation is a state beyond drunkenness or intoxication. An individual who is intoxicated may be able to consent to sexual activity. However, when an individual passes from intoxication to a state of incapacitation, the individual no longer has the ability to give consent.
Some indications of intoxication include, but are not limited to: slurred speech or difficulty communicating; difficulty walking or standing; and/or exaggerated emotions.
Some indications of incapacity include, but are not limited to: indications of intoxication (as set out above); inability to speak coherently; inability to walk unassisted; vomiting; glassy or bloodshot eyes; unable to keep eyes open; unusual behavior; unconsciousness; confusion or lack of understanding of basic facts; and/or disorientation to place, time, and/or location. These indications alone do not necessarily indicate incapacitation.
Dating, relationship, or domestic violence is generally characterized by repeated manipulative behavior aimed at gaining power or control over an intimate or romantic partner. It consists of harassment or violence committed by a person who is or has been in a relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the recipient of such conduct. The existence of a relationship of a romantic or intimate nature is determined by considering the following factors: length of relationship, type of relationship, and frequency of interaction within the relationship.
Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to, the following:
Domestic violence includes felony or misdemeanor crimes as defined by any applicable federal, state, or local law.
Stalking means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person or persons that would cause a reasonable person to:
Stalking is generally composed of two or more acts over a period of time, however short. Examples of conduct prohibited under this policy include, but are not limited to:
Negative conduct (such as intimidation, retaliation, threats, harassment, or bribes) that attempts to prevent the reporting of conduct prohibited under this policy or that attempts to prevent participation in an investigation, conduct process, or other University process related to this policy.
It is important for individuals to not engage in any actions that might be seen as trying to prevent the report of a potential violation of this policy or interfering with an investigation, including attempting to influence the information provided by potential witnesses. There are various ways individuals can use or engage in to try to prevent a report or interfere with an investigation. Any such conduct is prohibited.
Retaliation occurs when an individual is subjected to certain types of material, adverse treatment because of or as the result of: (i) making a report about conduct potentially prohibited by this policy or participation in an investigation, conduct process; or (ii) other University process related to this policy.
For situations involving sexual or gender-based harassment, misconduct, and violence, a student who is the alleged victim/survivor is referred to as the “reporting party.” A student who is the alleged perpetrator of the sexual or gender-based harassment, misconduct, or violence is referred to as the “responding party.”
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
