- What are my reporting obligations as a UC employee?
All UC employees who are not designated Confidential Resources are Responsible Employees and are required to report incidents of Prohibited Conduct, as defined by the UC SVSH Policy, to the Title IX Office.
For more information on mandatory reporting at UC Santa Barbara, visit the Mandatory Reporting for UC Employees page.
To submit a Responsible Employee report to the Title IX Office, click here.
- Can I submit a report anonymously to the Title IX Office?
Yes. Complainants and non-Responsible Employee reporters may submit an online webform report to the Title IX Office without identifying themselves. To do so, insert “Anonymous” in the name fields of the online reporting form.
While anonymous reports are acceptable, it should be noted that a lack of sufficient information provided may limit the response options available for the Title IX Office to pursue.
Responsible Employees must provide their name and contact information (as well as all pertinent information shared with them) when reporting on behalf of others to fulfill their reporting requirement.
- Will my report be kept confidential?
The Title IX Office is an “office of record,” meaning that while privacy is protected to the extent permitted by law and University policies, information shared with the office is not confidential. The University must balance the privacy interests of parties involved in a report against the need to gather information and respond to reports of sexual violence, sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and other behavior prohibited by Title IX Office-related policies. The University will limit disclosures to what is reasonably necessary to ensure fair resolution processes and provide accommodations and interim or protective measures to parties as needed.
For information about campus resources that can provide confidential services, visit the Resources for Impacted Parties page.
- Will the respondent (person reported to have engaged in prohibited conduct) be immediately notified of my report?
No. The Title IX Office does not immediately notify respondents when reports are received.
The Title IX Office works with complainants throughout the Initial Assessment process, prior to initiating a University response process. Generally, respondents are not notified of allegations until a University response process is initiated.
For more information about the Initial Assessment process, visit the What to Expect After Submitting a Report page.
- Is an investigation or formal response process initiated for every report received by the Title IX Office?
No. The Title IX Office does not initiate an investigation or formal response process for every report received. Each report is assessed by Title IX Office staff to determine the most appropriate response option. In general, the Title IX Office at UCSB strives to honor the wishes of the complainant and will likely not pursue a Title IX response option for cases in which the complainant has declined to participate. Complainants, if identity and contact information are available to the Title IX Office, are notified before investigations or any other response processes are initiated.
For more information on the Title IX Office assessment process, visit the What to Expect After Submitting a Report page.
- I want to make a report, but am concerned that I or others will get in trouble for alcohol-, drug-, and/or Covid-related policy violations that occurred at the time of the incident.
To encourage reporting, the University will not discipline complainants or witnesses for student conduct policy violations that occur around the time of alleged Prohibited Conduct, as defined by the UC SVSH Policy, unless the University determines the violation was egregious. Examples of egregious violations include conduct that risked someone’s health or safety, or involved plagiarism, cheating, or academic dishonesty.
- I want to make a report, but am concerned that I will be retaliated against in some way. Will I be protected from retaliation?
University policies prohibit retaliation for reporting and/or participating in a Title IX Office response process. Retaliation prohibition protects all participants in a Title IX response process. Retaliation will be treated as a separate violation of the applicable University policy, and any student or employee who engages in retaliation may be subject to discipline.
Retaliation is an adverse action against a person based on their report or other disclosure of alleged prohibited conduct to a University employee, their participation in, refusal to participate in, or assistance with the investigation, reporting, remedial, or disciplinary processes provided for in University policies, or conduct that would discourage a reasonable person from reporting prohibited conduct. Retaliation may include conduct such as threats, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, and coercion.