Mandatory Reporting Obligations

Pursuant to the Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Policy, all non-confidential employees, Resident Advisors with Housing and Residential Communities, and Graduate Students with Assistantships are required to report all known or suspected conduct that may constitute Prohibited Conduct to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Programs.

Even if you are not a mandatory reporter, the University strongly encourages you to report information related to sexual misconduct to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Programs (“the Office”). Reporting ensures that our campus community is aware of the resources available to them and assists our Office with ensuring a safe environment for members of the University community.

What do I have to report as a mandatory reporter?

Prohibited Conduct under the Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Policy includes: (list conduct)

Our Office needs basic information about a report of Prohibited Conduct to begin our process. We ask that you provide as much information as you know about a report.

You don’t need to investigate the report or interrogate to get additional information. Please report basic information to assist our Office in initial outreach.

This includes:

• WHO: Names of individuals involved including the Complainant (individual alleged to be the victim of Prohibited Conduct), the Respondent (individual alleged to have engaged in Prohibited Conduct), and reporter (if different than the Complainant)
• WHAT: the type of Prohibited Conduct (for examples, sexual assault/rape, dating violence, etc.)
• WHEN: Date of the incident(s)
• WHERE: Location of the incident(s)

Additionally, if the reporter mentions any impact resulting from the incident (such as academic or safety concerns) and whether the incident has already been reported to law enforcement, this is helpful information to include in your report.

How do I satisfy my mandatory reporting obligation?

To satisfy mandatory reporting obligations, you must notify our Office. Preferably, you should notify our Office by completing the Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Incident Report Form.

You may also contact our office directly to make the report by emailing Jessica Humber, Title IX Coordinator, at jbhumber@ua.edu or calling 205-348-5496. 

These are the only options that satisfy mandatory reporting obligations. Reports to confidential resources or reports made anonymously do not satisfy your reporting obligations.

In an emergency situation or if there is an articulated safety concern, please contact the University of Alabama Police Department by calling 205-348-5454 or 9-1-1.

How should I receive a report?

It can be overwhelming to learn that someone has experienced an incident of sexual misconduct, and you may be unsure of the best way to respond in that moment. Keep in mind that you may be the first person the reporter has told, and it is important to approach the situation calmly and without judgment.

Inform the student that you are a mandatory reporter.

If you believe the student is going to reveal information you would be required to report, help them understand your reporting role prior to the student sharing the information, to the extent possible.

Explain that you are a mandatory reporter and are required to notify the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Programs about the report.

If they have not disclosed the report to you yet, let them know that there are confidential options, such as the Women and Gender Resource Center, and anonymous reporting options available as well.

Be an active listener and keep the focus on the reporter.

Listen to them without interrogating or asking investigative questions, and thank them for sharing the information with you.

Ask if they have concerns for their safety or the safety of others.

Use the terminology that the reporter uses when discussing the report, and do not make assumptions about the reporter or what they are reporting.

Validate what happened to them without jumping to conclusions.

Be supportive.

Tell them that you will connect them with University resources that can assist them, including our Office. Our Office provides supportive measures to all parties involved in a report of Prohibited Conduct, including academic assistance and assistance with safety planning.

Become familiar with University resources, such as the Women and Gender Resource Center and the Counseling Center, so that you can share these resources with the student as well.

If the student tells you that they need support from you, try to help them. For example, if you are their instructor for a course and they express concerns about missing your class, proactively offer to work with them to make up their missed assignments.

What if the reporter tells me they don’t want me to tell anyone else?

As a mandatory reporter, you don’t have the option to offer confidentiality and are required to report. Tell them that our Office will reach out to them (or the appropriate Complainant) to connect them with University supportive measures. Reassure them that it is typically the Complainant’s decision how they wish to proceed with our office and that the Complainant is entitled to supportive measures even if they do not want the University to take action or notify the Respondent.