What to Expect After Submitting a Report

Every report of discrimination and harassment is promptly assessed by Title IX Compliance & Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Office (Title IX/DHP) staff to determine the most appropriate University response. The information below outlines the steps taken by the Title IX/DHP Office to complete this assessment upon receipt of reports. 

Complainant Outreach
The Title IX/DHP Office’s first response is to contact the complainant (person reported to have experienced prohibited conduct), if their identity and contact information is known, to provide them with a written explanation of their rights, resources, and reporting options. This includes information about immediate safety concerns and potential accommodations, a list of campus and community resources, a detailed review of the applicable policies and procedures, and other pertinent information. In this initial outreach, the complainant is offered an opportunity to meet with a Title IX/DHP case resolution officer for an informational meeting to further discuss reporting options, University response processes and procedures, and available resources. Response to this outreach and further participation with the Title IX/DHP Office is voluntary. Please note that respondents (persons reported to have engaged in prohibited conduct) are not notified of the report by the Title IX Office at this time.

Initial Assessment
As soon as practicable after receiving a report, the Title IX/DHP Office will conduct an Initial Assessment of the reported conduct to determine the most appropriate University response. This assessment is based on the information available to the Title IX/DHP Office, including information provided by the complainant and/or reporting party, submitted documentation, or other external sources.

• If the Title IX/DHP Office determines that a University response process is not appropriate (because the conduct is not covered under related policies, there is an insufficient nexus between the reported conduct and the University, or the Title IX/DHP Office has not received sufficient information to proceed with a response process), the case will be closed and a University response process will not be initiated. The complainant, if identity and contact information is known, is notified and provided a written explanation. 
• If the Title IX/DHP Office determines that a University response process is appropriate and has received sufficient information to proceed, the complainant is notified and provided information about the recommended response process (Alternative Resolution, Formal Investigation, DOE Grievance Process, or Other Inquiry).
  • If the complainant wishes to proceed with and participate in the recommended response process, the Title IX/DHP Office will initiate the response process and work closely with the complainant.
  • If the complainant does not wish to proceed with or participate in the recommended response process, the Title IX/DHP Office will further assess the reported conduct to determine if the wishes of the complainant can be honored.
    
    In general, the UCSB Title IX/DHP Office strives to honor the wishes of the complainant and will likely not pursue a response process for cases in which the complainant has declined to participate or did not respond to the office’s outreach*. If it is determined that the wishes of the complainant can be honored, these cases will be closed following the Initial Assessment without the initiation of a Title IX Office response process. Cases closed in this manner can be reopened and reassessed at any time, upon the complainant’s request or receipt of an additional report.
    
    While the response options may be limited for cases in which the complainant declines to participate, these reports still provide the University with valuable information about the prevalence of prohibited conduct in the campus community and help to inform and further improve prevention and response efforts. These reports may also assist the Title IX/DHP Office in identifying possible behavioral patterns if related reports are received in the future.
    
    *Certain factors, including a need to mitigate potential safety risks to the campus community, could lead to an exception to this practice. Instances of Title IX response processes proceeding without a participating complainant are uncommon, and complainants, if their identity and contact information are known, are notified prior to the initiation of a response process.