Frequently Asked Questions
What can OEO help with?
If you have experienced any form of discrimination or harassment (including sexual harassment) based on a protected category, or any form of sexual violence (including sexual assault, dating or relationship violence, or stalking), our office is here to help. Protected categories include race, color, national origin, ethnicity/ethnic characteristics, shared ancestry, sex, pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion, disability, and age.
You can review the complete list of protected categories.
If you are seeking support, but do not want to make Emerson aware of your concerns, please know you can always find help through our confidential resource.
Who can report to OEO?
Anyone at Emerson College, including students, faculty members, and staff, can report concerns they may have about discrimination, harassment or sexual violence.
You can report something that happened to you, or something that you heard, saw, or learned about. If you are reporting something that happened to someone else, we will reach out to the person who was impacted to determine how we can best support them.
What if I’m not sure this is an OEO issue?
Even if you’re not sure that the concern is an OEO issue, or don’t have all the information, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We can talk with you about your experience to help understand who on campus is best positioned to address your concern. If it is not an OEO issue, we can help connect you with the right resource to support you.
Is OEO Confidential?
OEO is not a confidential resource, but we handle all information shared with us with discretion and regard for your privacy. We only share information with others when necessary to implement the College’s response. This may mean informing other offices as needed. However, we always try to limit sharing information as much as possible.
If you have questions about how your information might be shared, please reach out. We are always happy to set up a meeting to talk through your concerns and give you more information before you decide if you wish to go forward with your report. If you would prefer to speak to someone who is confidential, please see our list of available resources.
What’s the difference between a confidential resource and other offices on campus?
Confidential resources exist so that any community member — students, faculty, or staff – can speak to someone about their concerns without reporting the behavior to Emerson. These resources are specifically designated as confidential because they are legally prohibited from sharing information without your permission. Confidential resources can be a great place for people to go when they are unsure about what they may want to do and/or are still processing their experience. Please review this list of confidential resources for guidance.
Outside of confidential resources, all Emerson employees are obligated to share with OEO information disclosed to them about discrimination, harassment, or sexual violence. Those individuals and OEO will take care to keep your information private. When you speak to an Emerson employee who is not designated as confidential, that information will be shared with OEO, and we will follow up with you. You then have the option to choose whether you want to work with OEO.
On and off-campus resources are also available.
Can I report anonymously?
Yes. You can submit an anonymous report via our reporting portal. However, it is important that you follow up on an anonymous report by re-engaging with the reporting portal (you will still be anonymous). If you do not follow up on an anonymous report, the College will most likely be unable to address your concerns.
When you submit your on-line report anonymously, you will create a password and receive a “Report Key.” To follow up, please be sure to write down the Report Key and use it to log back into the portal about a week later. Through the portal, OEO can ask follow-up questions and gather additional information while you maintain your anonymity. OEO can also set up a time to live chat with you anonymously through the portal, so that we can learn more about your concerns and share information about possible options.
If I reach out to OEO, when can I expect to hear from someone?
OEO typically responds to reports we receive within one week after receipt, but often sooner than that. That outreach will usually come to you as an email and will typically include an offer to meet to discuss your experience and information about support resources. Please note that OEO is not a place to report emergencies or matters that require an immediate safety response. If you have an emergency or an immediate concern for your safety, please call 911 or the Emerson College Police Department at 617-824-8888.
What does it mean for OEO to be impartial?
In any OEO process, our role is to collect information to help understand what happened in a particular situation. OEO is a resource for anyone involved in a process or concern, and all have the same opportunities to submit information and speak with the investigator. The OEO process is not meant to be adversarial, meaning that throughout, neither party has the burden to prove or disprove the underlying allegations. Instead, it is OEO’s responsibility to gather all relevant information about the alleged conduct to help the decision-makers determine if College policy was violated.
Will OEO report my issue to law enforcement?
No. While you may have the option to report to law enforcement, it is your decision whether or not to do so. If you do decide you want to talk with the police, OEO can provide information about how to connect with law enforcement and support you with that process. It is your choice. The only (rare) exception to this is when there is an immediate safety threat to others or the campus community.
What happens after I make a report, or someone I spoke to reports my issue to OEO?
OEO will work with you about what next steps, if any, make sense for you. First, OEO will reach out to you via email, offer to set up a meeting (in person or virtually) and direct you to on-campus support resources. You can decide whether or not you respond to this email. OEO will typically email you three times and will stop outreach after that if we do not hear from you. Even if you choose not to initially engage with OEO, we are always available in the future if you decide you want to talk with us. When you speak to OEO, you are notifying Emerson about your experience (see below: “Who Will Know About My Report?”).
If you choose to meet with OEO, we will talk with you about your experience, walk you through possible options to address your concerns, and discuss the support measures that are available to you. You can decide whether you want to accept support measures. Our goal is to help you understand your options so you can make the decision that's right for you.
Who will know about my report? Will the person I reported know I reported them?
OEO keeps your information private. It will only be shared with people necessary to administer the College’s response. It is not our practice to contact the person whose conduct was reported (the accused individual) without first talking to the impacted party about what they would like to see happen.
In some situations, you may have the option to pursue a formal process, which involves an investigation into the concerns raised (see more information in our Policies and Flowcharts). In that scenario, the person you reported will receive a written notice about the concerns raised and the process itself. OEO will meet with both parties to discuss what you can expect from the investigation process. It is not possible to pursue a formal process anonymously.
What do I have to prepare in order to be able to report to OEO?
You do not need to prepare anything prior to meeting with us. If you want to share a concern, just send us an email at oeo [at] emerson.edu (oeo[at]emerson[dot]edu) or log on to our online reporting system and we’ll schedule a time to talk. OEO can help you think about what information is important or needed in this situation, so please do not feel like you need to do any work in advance of meeting with us.
Will OEO keep me updated about what steps are being taken?
If you are the person who experienced the conduct, yes. We will stay in touch with you throughout the process and keep you informed of next steps. If you reported something that happened to someone else, because of privacy considerations, you will not receive further updates regarding that situation or any response to the concerns raised. Our focus is always on the person who experienced the conduct.
Can I pursue a formal process for something that happened to my friend?
No. You can let us know about something that happened to a friend, but only the person who experienced the conduct, known as the impacted party, can choose to pursue a formal process or any other response to this concern. The best way to support an impacted person is to make sure that you are supporting their decisions, even if those are not the choices you would make in that situation.
Why does my faculty member/coach/supervisor have to share what I told them with OEO?
Every faculty and staff member at Emerson, except for those explicitly designated as a confidential resource, are considered responsible reporters. If they learn about an incident of discrimination, harassment, or sexual violence, they are required to share what they learn with OEO. This allows Emerson to take steps to make sure the impacted party is getting the support they need and to make sure they know about their options for addressing the conduct. Remember that you can decide whether or not you wish to engage with OEO, even if a matter has already been reported to our office.
If you want support without reporting it to Emerson, please see our list of confidential resources.
Can an investigation against me happen without me knowing about it?
No. The first step in any formal OEO investigation is to notify in writing and meet with the Respondent: the person who is alleged to have committed the conduct. (Meanwhile, in this process, the Complainant refers to the person who initiated the complaint.)
It is important to note that OEO investigations only occur when a Formal Complaint has been initiated with our office – and a Formal Complaint is different from simply filing a report or sharing a concern. If you would like more information about how Formal Complaints and investigations work, please see the Formal Complaint Process.
If someone files an OEO complaint about me, will I be disciplined?
First, a Formal Complaint must be initiated, fully investigated, and the final report sent to a panel of Decision-Makers (independent of OEO). Only if the Decision-Making Panel finds the Respondent responsible for violating College policy will sanctions be imposed. Sanctions for students can include (but are not limited to) probation, suspension and dismissal from the College. Sanctions for employees can include (but are not limited to) warnings (verbal or written), censures, reassignment, demotions, suspensions, and termination. Outside of the formal process, OEO sometimes will engage with individuals through informal resolutions that are not punitive and are meant to help people succeed and hopefully avoid any future problems.
What type of support resources are available to me?
Students and employees should know that there are support resources if they need them. These resources are available regardless of whether someone wants to work with OEO or pursue any type of action. Support resources are meant to help you continue to be a student or employee at Emerson, despite experiencing possible discrimination, harassment, or sexual violence. What support resources are helpful can vary from person to person. OEO can work with you on your individual needs and discuss what would be helpful to your individual situation.