Office of Equal Opportunity FAQ

You can access the Policy and Procedures 3-32, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct (including Title IX) at (weber.edu/ppm/Policies/3-32_DiscriminationHarassmentandSexualMisconduct.html)

Race, color, national origin, pregnancy, genetics, age (over 40), disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, veteran, active military status, and other classifications protected by law.

All members of the University community are covered by the policy, including applicants for employment, or students applying for admission, former students and employees as well as other visitors to the University campus.

Reports of violations of the policy can be made to Office of Equal Opportunity office at aa-eo@weber.edu.

You can also contact:
Laura Thompson (Executive Director, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator) at laurathompson3@weber.edu or at 801-626-6240.

Alexandra Babilis (Civil Rights Investigator, Deputy Title IX Coordinator) at alexandrababilis@weber.edu or at 801-626-6239.

You are welcome to bring a support person with you. The Women’s Center (weber.edu/womenscenter/contact.html) has a Victim’s Advocate who can accompany you for support: 801-626-6090

It is best to bring a complaint as quickly as possible, but Weber State University's policy allows discrimination complaints to be filed up to six months after the most recent discriminatory act. You may be able to file a complaint even after six months, if there was a good reason the complaint was not filed earlier.

Red Flag Reporting is a simple, risk-free way to anonymously and confidentially report activities that may involve unethical, criminal or otherwise inappropriate activity or behavior in violation of WSU policies.

WSU's Red Flag Reporting website (https://www.redflagreporting.com/weber)

888-524-7144

Confidential Resources include:

• Weber State University Counseling and Psychological Services Center 801-626-6406
• Your Community Connection (YCC) of Ogden 801-392-7273 24-hour crisis line
• Safe Harbor of Davis County 801-444-9161 24-hour crisis line
• Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault 1-888-421-1100 24-hour crisis line

If you want to try to resolve a concern without or before a formal investigation, informal approaches are available that include mediation.

Formal complaints will be investigated by the Executive Director, Laura Thompson, or her designee.

Yes, there are interim measures (supportive measures) that can be taken to protect you, including, but not limited to:

• No-contact directives,
• No trespass notices,
• Temporarily reassigning housing,
• Changing class assignments or schedules,
• Placing the parties on temporary, non-disciplinary leave with pay, or receiving temporary reassignments.

 

You will not only have the opportunity to see the report, you will be given an opportunity to add any additional evidence or remarks before it is submitted to the appropriate vice president for their consideration.

Yes, there is an appeal process depending on whether you are a student or an employee.

Most civil rights are protected by state and federal laws with agencies to investigate those rights.

Sexual harassment is a type of discriminatory harassment involving unwelcome conduct directed against persons based on their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. It can include, but is not limited to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or nonverbal conduct of a sexual nature (which can include rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking).

The policy prohibits discriminatory harassment, which is unwelcome conduct directed against a person based on one or more of that person’s “protected classifications.”

Employees who exercise supervisory or evaluative authority over other employees or students are required to report known or suspected violations of the policy. This includes, but is not limited to executives, faculty members, directors, supervisors, managers, coordinators, leads, coaching personnel, advisors, and specialists with supervisory or evaluative authority over others.

If you want to try that you are encouraged to do so. Here are some suggestions, if you do:

• Keep a complete record or diary.
• Record each action you took, when and where you did it, and any witnesses who were present.
• Also record the response of the other person. Did she or he apologize? Did he or she agree not to engage in the objectionable behavior in the future?
• If you write the person a letter, be sure to save a copy and note the date you sent it, or send it certified mail.

 

There are very strong protections against any retaliation. You cannot be punished for raising a civil rights issue. Witnesses or others who participate in a complaint are also protected. This protection does not include knowingly providing false statements.

Accommodations are handled by the Disability Office Concurrent Enrollment Services (https://www.weber.edu/disabilityservices/concurrentenrollment.html)

Yes. PPM3-32 (5.0) provides: "Faculty and staff will reasonably accommodate students and employees who are pregnant, in accordance with the law. Students' absences due to medical conditions relating to pregnancy will be excused for as long as deemed medically necessary by a student's doctor, and students will be given a reasonable opportunity to make up missed work."

Religious Accommodations/Student Core Beliefs

Under PPM 3-32, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct (including Title IX), Weber State University prohibits illegal discrimination or harassment based on religious beliefs or other deeply held beliefs. In addition, individuals may receive religious accommodations, as permitted by law, Utah Board of Higher Education policy, and University policy, including Utah Code Ann. 53B-27-405.

Employee Religious Accommodations

If unable to work through a religious accommodation through their immediate supervisor, employees who need to request a religious accommodation should contact Human Resources.

Students who would like to request a religious accommodation should consult with their faculty member at the outset of the class or as soon as possible upon notification of the conflict.

Student Core Beliefs Policy and Procedure

According to PPM 6-22 and PPM 9-5, students are to determine before the last day to drop courses without penalty if any course requirements conflict with a student’s core beliefs. If after reading the syllabus and class program a student expects such a conflict, the student should consider withdrawing from the class. If the student finds this solution unworkable, the student may request a resolution from the instructor. This policy does not obligate the instructor to grant the request, except in those cases when a denial would be arbitrary and capricious or illegal. The student needs to make this request to the instructor in writing and with a copy to the department chair. The student’s request must explain the burden the class requirement would place on the student’s beliefs. If the student is not satisfied with the instructor’s resolution, the student can voice a complaint, petition for a change, or make an appeal through the student petition, complaints & grievances process. Questions or concerns about accommodations or religious discrimination should be directed to the Executive Director of Office of Equal Opportunity at aa-eo@weber.edu.

Accommodations may include reasonably accommodating a student’s absence from examination or other academic requirement. A reasonable accommodation should not adversely impact the student’s academic opportunities. Such accommodations shall be made if:

• the time at which an examination or academic requirement is scheduled to occur creates an undue hardship for a student due to the student's sincerely held religious belief; and
• the student provides a written notice to the instructor of the course for which the student seeks the accommodation regarding the date of the examination or academic requirement for which the student seeks the accommodation.

An instructor who approves an accommodation is required to keep the student’s request for an accommodation confidential.

Students requesting an accommodation for an immunization or vaccination requirement must follow the processes established by the College of Health Professions. Contact kljohnson@weber.edu.