Reaffirming our commitment to eradicating sexual violence

April 5, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

As we begin spring term and recognize April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), we want to take a moment to reaffirm the University of Oregon’s commitment to creating a community free of sexual assault and violence of any kind.

Earlier today we sent a message to all UO students recognizing SAAM and reminding students of the resources and support services available through the university for survivors of sexual assault and violence. In the email sent to students, we also recognize the intersections of identities and sexualized violence that have been magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic, as our nation has witnessed an increase in domestic violence and horrific acts of violence and discrimination against people of color, particularly Black people and Asian-Americans.

We wanted to share the message with you to remind you of the resources for employees and of your reporting responsibilities as a university employee. Information about these obligations, and specific responsibilities related to student disclosures of sex and gender-based harassment and violence, is available on the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance website.

If you are contacted by a student who has experienced sexual harassment (in any form), please call the Office of the Dean of Students at 541-346-3216 and they will provide appropriate support and referral to resources.

If you or a colleague need support for an incident and it is an emergency, please contact 9‑1‑1. If there is no immediate danger to you or others, please contact the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance at 541‑346‑3123. You can also access confidential counseling services and other resources through the university’s employee assistance program provider, Cascade Centers, Inc.

We would also like to thank the many prevention and response staff as well as the faculty they work with for their continuing collaborative work to help educate, safeguard, and support our students. This work remains an important part of helping our students succeed and thrive at the University of Oregon.

Sincerely,

Michael H. Schill
President and Professor of Law

Nicole Commissiong
Associate Vice President, Chief Civil Rights Officer, & Title IX Coordinator

Dear students,

As we begin spring term and recognize April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), we want to take a moment to reaffirm the University of Oregon’s commitment to creating a community free of sexual assault and violence of any kind.

Everyone at the University of Oregon has the right to be free from sexual assault and violence. Each member of our campus community also has a responsibility to prevent sexual assault, do something, say something, and act in accordance with the law.

We also want to be clear, to all survivors: we believe you, we support you, and we continue to advocate for you. The UO has a number of resources available, including confidential support that can be found at safe.uoregon.edu or by calling 541-346-SAFE (7233). You do not need to file a report to access these services.

Although we all cannot be back together on campus yet, we want survivors to know, they are not alone. The UO will be hosting a number of virtual events for SAAM. We wanted to highlight a couple:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation has witnessed an increase in domestic violence and horrific acts of violence and discrimination against people of color, particularly Black people and Asian-Americans. We want to again condemn these acts and call on our entire University of Oregon community to proactively end all forms of hate, bias, discrimination, and violence.

If you experience or become aware of a threat or incident of bias, discrimination, or violence, including sex or gender-based harassment, stalking, and bullying, the university has resources and services available for you. More information, including how to report an incident, is available at safe.uoregon.edu and on the Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance website.

As a community, it is on each of us to say something and do something to prevent sexual assault, discrimination, and harassment in all their forms. Sexual assault and sexual violence have no place in our community. 

Sincerely,

Michael H. Schill
President and Professor of Law

Nicole Commissiong
Associate Vice President, Chief Civil Rights Officer, & Title IX Coordinator