Frequently Asked Questions

The Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office oversees, facilitates and supports the U-M’s efforts to ensure equal opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities and admissions.

Our office is made up of the following six teams:

• Disability Equity Office
• Prevention, Education, Assistance & Resources (PEAR)
• Intake & Support Office
• Civil Rights Office
• Title VI Office
• Title IX Office

The various teams across ECRT each play a unique role in supporting the U-M community.

The Disability Equity Office provides consultations, educational outreach, and facilitates the interactive process for employee accommodation requests for the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses, among other services. U-M’s ADA Coordinator and Deputy ADA Coordinator also are responsible for ADA and accessibility compliance across all U-M campuses.

The Prevention, Education, Assistance & Resources team provides sexual and gender-based misconduct prevention education for U-M employees, including faculty, staff, and graduate student employees across Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses, and Michigan Medicine.

The remaining teams of ECRT (Intake & Support, Civil Rights, Title VI and Title IX) support students, faculty, staff, and third parties on the Ann Arbor and Michigan Medicine campuses in matters involving discrimination and harassment related to a protected class, including sexual and sex or gender-based misconduct.

UM-Dearborn ECRT Office and the UM-Flint ECRT Office support the campus communities on their respective campuses.

ECRT services include:

• Facilitation of multiple resolution options
• Coordination of supportive measures
• Facilitation of disability accommodations
• Coordination of pregnancy and related conditions accommodations
• Connection to resources
• Ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations
• Education and training

Individual may reach out to request ECRT services in the following ways:

• Online webform
• Email [email protected]
• Phone (734) 763-0235
• Walk-ins are welcome between 8-5 pm M-F

Contact the Disability Equity Office or email [email protected]

Contact PEAR or email [email protected]

Supportive measures are individualized services, adjustments or other assistance the university puts in place to allow individuals to safely participate in campus life and to continue with their studies or work. Supportive measures are provided without fee or charge and can be provided to any individual impacted by alleged misconduct, discrimination or harassment.

A few examples of supportive measures are:

• Modifications of work or class schedules
• Notification of shared course
• Changes in housing, seating, or work locations
• Leaves of absence
• University-issued and enforced Mutual Contact Restrictions (MCR)
• Increased monitoring of certain areas of the campus
• Referrals to other campus resources

More information is available on the Supportive Measures page.

No. Supportive measures are available to you at any time whether or not you decide to file a formal complaint with ECRT. To inquire about supportive measures, complete a request for consultation on the Contact Us page.

ECRT offers a wide range of educational training and presentations to promote a safe, respectful, and thriving campus community. Employees are required to complete the training module SPG 201.89-1: Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.

Updated employee training related to the sexual and gender-based misconduct policy is expected later this year.

More information is available on the Training page.

Yes. The university has developed required online training that:

• Clarifies employee responsibilities under the new policies
• Offers practical guidance on how to respond when someone shares a disclosure

More information is available on the Trainings page.

Yes, all faculty and staff members, including temporary staff, bargained-for staff, and student employees, on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, including Michigan Medicine, are required to complete SPG 201.89-1: Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.

Updated required employee training related to the sexual and gender-based misconduct policy is expected later this year.

The module will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.

You can check if you’ve completed the training by looking under “Training and Transcripts” in MyLinc. The course will be listed as “completed,” and you will also be able to view your certificate of achievement for the completed course.

The online training module, SPG 201.89-1: Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation, provides crucial information about the university’s policy and procedures for addressing concerns of discrimination, harassment, and related retaliation, as well as how to report concerns. It is a crucial tool to deepen an employee’s understanding of their role in maintaining an environment free of discrimination and harassment. Employees are required to complete the training and may revisit it annually to stay up-to-date on expectations.

Faculty and staff, including student employees, are required to complete the training by December 31, 2026. Training is required for all newly hired faculty and staff on an ongoing basis.

Your name will be shared with your unit leadership, who will follow up as appropriate.

Multiple resolution options are available and participation is voluntary.

ECRT resolution options include:

• Educational/informational conversations
• Mediation Services
• Adaptable resolutions
• Investigations
• Referral to appropriate campus resources outside of ECRT, such as unit HR or the Office of Student Conflict Resolution.

For a full list of additional campus resources for conflict resolution, visit our resource guide.

Different resolution options may be appropriate for different situations. In some instances, a resolution option may not be appropriate for a particular concern, while in others, ECRT may have an obligation to take some action even if not requested. ECRT will communicate with you about what processes are available and appropriate for your situation, and will be transparent if other actions are necessary.

If you do not want ECRT to take action about your concerns, it is helpful if you communicate that clearly to ECRT. Often ECRT will try to honor the request as best as possible.

However, ECRT may need to take action or follow-up on the information for purposes related to the safety of the broader university community, and/or legal requirements or university practice.

Details are included in the policies and can be found within the Resolution Options page.

You can also meet with an ECRT intake and supportive measures specialist to learn more about the options and ask questions. This does not obligate you to file a formal complaint or participate further in a process.

Mediation is a voluntary, informal but structured process where people work together with the help of a trained mediator to resolve a misunderstanding or conflict.

Mediation Services are private. Participants are expected to keep the mediation conversation private unless they all agree otherwise. The mediator will also keep all information discussed in mediation private unless otherwise agreed upon by the participants.

Important: If information is disclosed during the mediation that relates to potential university policy violations, that information must be reported to ECRT to ensure compliance with federal and state laws.

For additional questions, visit the Mediation Services page.

First and foremost, respond with empathy and care. Disclose whether you have a reporting obligation and connect the individual to appropriate resources. Check out helpful guidance on responding to disclosures.

All non-confidential U-M employees (including faculty, staff and student employees at Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint and Michigan Medicine) are required to share information with ECRT. Confidential Resources—offices or individuals who do not have reporting obligations—continue to be designated under the policies.

Confidential resources include employees with the Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office, Michigan Medicine Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience, university ombuds, University Health Services, Counseling & Psychological Services and the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Center as well as individuals serving in similar roles formally designated by the university as confidential at the unit level. Please reach out to ECRT at [email protected] if you have questions whether your unit level resource is confidential.

Learn more about reporting exemptions.

The expansion to require all employees—except those serving in roles classified as confidential resources— to report to ECRT is intended to ensure that individuals affected by harm are offered timely support, care, and access to institutional resources.

It also further streamlines reporting responsibilities, reduces confusion, and promotes a safe and inclusive campus environment across U-M campuses.

Student employees are required to share information with ECRT about possible discrimination, discriminatory harassment, sexual or gender-based misconduct or related retaliation when learned of in the scope of their employment at the university. Additional reporting obligations related to specific student employment positions may apply.

Examples of when student employees are equired to share information include: a student is working at a university recreation facility when a person using the facility tells them that another person using the facility is making them uncomfortable with racist comments; a GSI receives an email from a student in the course they are teaching, requesting an extension on an assignment due to a recent experience with sexual assault.

Students who are employees and learn of possible prohibited conduct in ways unrelated to their role at the university (i.e. social circles, academic programming and events in which they are participating as a student, participation in extracurricular activities) are not required to share that information; they remain encouraged to connect with ECRT so resources may be offered to individuals, and concerns may be addressed.

Employee reporting obligations are subject to legally privileged confidentiality, for example, doctor-patient communications under HIPAA, attorney-client communications, privileged counseling records, etc.

In addition, there are some limited circumstances in which employees may — but do not have to — report information they learn in the course of their university employment. These scenarios, which are uncommon for most faculty and staff, include disclosures made as at a sexual assault awareness community event, as part of general classroom/academic discussion (regardless of the location), or institutional review board (IRB) approved research project. Learn
Learn more about reporting exemptions.

You can share a concern with ECRT in any of the following ways:

• Report a Concern
• Email [email protected]
• Phone (734) 763-0235
• Walk-ins are welcome between 8-5 pm M-F.

Reports can be submitted anonymously using the links and information below. It is important to know, however, that the university’s ability to investigate and respond to anonymous reports is limited.

• Report a Concern
• Compliance Hotline: U-M’s 24/7 compliance hotline at 1-866-990-0111

*Employees may not submit reports anonymously to fulfill their reporting obligations.

To report a concern related to a disability accommodation or request, you can contact the U-M ADA Coordinator at [email protected].

Failure by an employee to promptly report to ECRT information they receive about alleged prohibited conduct is a violation of policy, and may result in disciplinary action.

U-M’s Protection from Retaliation policy prohibits retaliation against any member of the U-M community who in good faith reports or participates in an inquiry or investigation into wrongful conduct covered under university policies.

Yes. If the person sharing the information is currently affiliated with the university (e.g., a student, faculty, or staff member), and they disclose alleged discrimination, harassment or sexual or gender-based misconduct, you are required to report it if you are an employee, regardless of when or where the incident occurred.

ECRT can still offer resources, safety planning, and academic or workplace supportive measures, even if the university does not have direct authority over the person who caused the harm.

If you overhear or are told information that clearly suggests someone experienced [discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct or retaliation], you are expected to report it, even if the information did not come directly from the harmed party.

That said, we recognize the importance of nuance. If you are ever uncertain, we encourage you to consult with ECRT to determine the appropriate next steps. The goal is to ensure access to resources for impacted individuals.

No. The complaint will not be kept confidential. Information will be shared on a need to know basis.

For a list of available confidential resources, visit our resource guide.

Please know that when sharing a concern about an identified employee or student, ECRT may notify the individual that a complaint has been made against them.

In situations involving a faculty or staff member, the reported employee will be notified. In situations involving a report against a student, most often the reported student will not be notified of the report unless it becomes a formal investigation or other rare instances such as a mutual contact restriction or voluntary training request.

In some cases, when an individual’s identity is not disclosed but details provided to ECRT help identify the individual, ECRT may make the individual aware that a complaint has been made against them.

There is no time limit for reporting an incident if you are not an employee. However, the university encourages reports to be made as soon as possible. The passing of time makes responding to reports more difficult and the memories of involved parties less reliable.

Once a report is made, ECRT will reach out to the Complainant, the person making the report or reported to have experienced the behavior, to offer resources, support and information about possible next steps, including how to file a formal complaint.

ECRT’s Intake & Support team can answer questions, provide information on supportive measures, and talk through the resolution options before you share any information about a specific concern. You can complete a request for consultation on the Contact Us page.

Confidential resources are also available to you.

The university has the following policies in place to protect against misconduct, discrimination, harassment and retaliation among the U-M community:

• Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct
• Employee Non-discrimination and Harassment
• Student Non-discrimination and Harassment
• Protection from Retaliation
• Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility

In addition, there are federal and state laws and regulations that the university follows include:

• Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, (ADAAA)
• Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act 453 of 1976
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• Violence Against Women Act

A full list of policies and procedures is available on the Policies page.