To: USC Faculty and Staff
From: Felicia A. Washington, Senior Vice President of Human Resources
November 11, 2021
Many in our community are engaging in critically important dialogue about how to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence, including how to provide timely, compassionate, and supportive responses to impacted community members. As faculty and staff engage in discussions with students and peers, I write to remind you and to ensure that you have the information you need to provide support, connect students to resources, and meet your Title IX and Clery reporting obligations. Much of this will be familiar to many who have completed harassment prevention training over the past several years.
Understanding Your Obligations
Many USC faculty and staff have reporting responsibilities as Designated Employees under the university’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation, and in some cases, as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) under the USC Clery Policy:
Designated Employees include faculty, academic advisors, staff, and student employees in supervisory positions (e.g., teaching, research, and residential assistants) who must report:
• Harassment and discrimination based on protected characteristics (i.e., sex, race, disability, religion, etc.)
• Sexual and gender-based harassment, including Title IX sexual harassment
• Sexual assault
• Dating and domestic violence
• Stalking
• Non-consensual viewing, recording, and dissemination
• Exposure
• Complicity
• Retaliation
Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) include any member of the Department of Public Safety (DPS); individuals outside of DPS with responsibility for campus security in any capacity; individuals or offices where a university policy directs students, staff, or faculty to report criminal offense; and officials with significant responsibility for student and campus activities. CSAs must report potential Clery Act crimes, including sexual offenses, that are observed by or reported to them, including information received by a CSA from a confidential resource.
What To Do with the Information You Receive
It is vital that all Designated Employees and CSAs continue to immediately report disclosures, reports, or other known information. These obligations are based on the report alone and must be reported without taking investigative steps or otherwise assessing its credibility.
Designated Employees must immediately contact the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX (EEO-TIX). You can report in person at the USC Credit Union Building (2nd floor), by telephone at (213) 740-5086, or by email at eeotix@usc.edu.
CSAs must immediately make a Clery report through the CSA Crime Incident Report Form, directly to DPS, or to the Office of Clery Compliance.
What Happens if You Don’t Report
Failure to make a timely report may result in furthering harm to the campus community by not providing the university the opportunity to respond and take action. Ultimately, the university will be unable to fulfill its obligations under Title IX and the Clery Act, and this goes against our Unifying Values and overarching commitment to care for our community.
Accessing Resources
A key resource available for faculty and staff is our “Preventing Harassment and Discrimination” training, which was assigned to all of you in TrojanLearn (except for 2021 new hires or promotions who completed the training during onboarding). This course details our Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation and is part of our commitment to fostering a positive environment and ensuring USC is compliant with federal and state legal requirements, including reporting requirements. As a reminder, the deadline to complete this course has been extended to Saturday, December 4, 2021.
Additional information, including the types of matters to report and links to policies (e.g., the Clery Policy) and resources, can be found on the Faculty and Staff Reporting Responsibilities page on the EEO-TIX website. If you are unsure of your specific reporting responsibilities, please contact the Office of Professionalism and Ethics by phone at (213) 740-5755 or by email at ope@usc.edu.
Thank you for doing your part to create an inclusive and diverse university community that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.