Confidential & Non-Confidential Reporting
OSU has confidential and non-confidential reporting options. Some reporting options allow victims to share their experience without their information being shared with others.
Under state law, some faculty or staff can assure confidentiality for a victim, including counselors and victim advocates. In general, however, any other university employee cannot guarantee complete confidentiality, unless specifically provided by law. The university must balance the needs of the individual victim with an obligation to protect the safety and well-being of the community.
Faculty and staff may have different responsibilities regarding confidentiality, depending on their position. For example:
- Some are required to maintain near complete confidentiality; talking to them is sometimes called a “privileged communication.”
- Other employees may talk to a victim in confidence and generally report only that an incident occurred without revealing any personally identifying information. Disclosures to these employees will not trigger a university investigation into an incident against the victim’s wishes. This report is done through a Clery Report and does not include the victim’s name or other identifying information.
- Some employees are required to report all the details of an incident (including the identities of both the victim and alleged perpetrator) to the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Coordinator.
Confidential services provide students with the ability to confidentially share and discuss an instance of sexual violence, without their information being shared with others. Please note that confidential services limits the university’s ability to respond to incidents.
Non-confidential reporting may include the victim's name which can be shared among appropriate university employees. A responsible employee should not share information about the victim to law enforcement unless a victim requests the employee to do so.
The Board of Regents for Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges and the Clery Act require all employees (excluding counselors, health care providers and victim advocates) who become aware of an instance of sexual violence to report the instance to OSU Police and victim advocates. The victim’s name should not be reported to the police without the victim’s permission. The report should include the nature, date, time and general location of an incident. This is a limited report that includes no information that would directly or indirectly identify the victim. This allows for the university to track patterns and develop appropriate campus-wide responses.
Confidential Services
Here are some confidential services you can report to:
Professional Counselors
Professional and licensed counselors are not required to report information about an incident to the Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinator without the victim’s permission. This option includes counselors in the University Counseling Center, Psychological Services Center and Counseling Psychology Clinic. Visit University Counseling Services for more information.
OSU Victim Advocates
Victims can visit, call, or email a victim advocate to learn about their options or resources available on campus. Victim advocates will report incidents, without personally identifiable information, to OSU Police for the purpose of the Clery Act. Additionally, the victim advocates will report quarterly to the Board of Regents on statistical trends of incidents. Visit our Victim Advocates page to learn more.
University Health Providers
University Health Service providers are not required to report any information about an incident to the Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinator without a victim’s permission. However, they will report incidents without any personally identifiable information to OSU Police for the purpose of the Clery Act.
While these professionals, non-professional counselors, health providers or victim advocates may maintain a victim’s confidentiality, they may have reporting or other obligations under state law, such as mandatory reporting to law enforcement in case of minors, imminent harm to self or others or requirement to testify if subpoenaed in a criminal case.
Non-Confidential Reporting
The Board of Regents for Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges and the Clery Act require all employees (excluding counselors, health care providers and victim advocates) who become aware of an instance of sexual violence to report the instance to OSU Police and victim advocates. The victim’s name should not be reported to the police without the victim’s permission. The report should include the nature, date, time and general location of an incident. This is a limited report that includes no information that would directly or indirectly identify the victim. This allows for the university to track patterns and develop appropriate campus-wide responses.
If the university determines that the alleged individual(s) pose a serious and immediate threat to the campus, the university may issue a timely warning to the community. Any such warning will not include any information that identifies the victim.
When an instance of sexual violence is reported to a responsible employee or a Campus Security Authority (CSA), a student can expect the incident will be reported to the university’s Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinator.
Campus Security Authority: In compliance with the Clery Act, some employees are identified as a Campus Security Authority. CSAs are identified through the Clery Act and outlined in the University’s Annual Safety Report. These individuals are required to report instances of sexual misconduct, along with other misconduct, to OSU Police for statistical purposes.
Responsible Employees: University employees in a supervisory role over employees or students are considered responsible employees. Employees with supervisory authority include, but are not limited to: unit heads, academic administrators, faculty members engaged in supervising student workers, intercollegiate athletic administrators and coaching staff members.
A CSA or responsible employee must report to the Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinator all relevant details about the alleged sexual violence shared by the victim including names, date, time, and specific location of the alleged incident. To the extent possible, information will be shared only with people responsible for handling the university’s response to the report. A CSA or responsible employee should not share information about the victim to law enforcement unless a victim requests the employee to do so.
Before a victim reveals any information to a CSA or responsible employee, the employee should ensure that the victim understands the employee’s reporting obligations and if the victim wants to maintain confidentiality, the victim should be directed to a confidential resource. When a victim tells a CSA or responsible employee about an incident of sexual violence, the victim has the right to expect the university will provide information about supportive measures, resources, and reporting avenues.