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FAQs

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FAQs


Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Harassment: What Students Should Know

OU’s Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Harassment Policy prohibits the following conduct:

  • Sex discrimination: treating a person unfairly because of their sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or pregnancy.
  • Sexual harassment: unwanted sexual attention or behavior based on a person’s gender that is so severe, repeated, or widespread that it unreasonably interferes with a person’s work or education.
  • Sexual assault: includes rape, nonconsensual sexual conduct (fondling), incest, and statutory rape.
  • Dating violence and domestic violence: violence, including assault or other physical abuse, between people who are or have been in a romantic relationship, or who are related, married, or living together.
  • Stalking: a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would make a reasonable person fear for their safety or the safety of others, or suffer serious emotional distress.
  • Retaliation: punishing, or trying to punish, someone for reporting misconduct or for taking part in a complaint or investigation.

Contact us if:

  • You have experienced, witnessed, received a report about or become aware of any form of discrimination and harassment, including sexual misconduct and/or retaliation.
  • Someone has treated you differently because of a protected characteristic such as race, color, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), religion, political beliefs, age (40 and older), sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, gender identity or expression (consistent with applicable law), disability, or veteran status. 
  • You are a student who needs pregnancy-related academic modifications (faculty and staff should contact Human Resources).
  • You are not sure whether something you experienced violates an Institutional Equity Office policy.
  • You have questions about your rights or options.
  • You don’t know which university office is the right place to start.

If you are a student affected by sexual misconduct, discrimination, and harassment, you can get help from the Institutional Equity Office, whether or not you ever file a formal complaint.

Support can include:

  • Connecting you with a counselor
  • Changing your class schedule
  • Adjusting an assignment deadline
  • Changing housing
  • Putting a no-contact order in place between two people

All of these options are free, private, and are not punishments for anyone. Each student decides which support feels right for them, and the Institutional Equity Office assists with implementing those measures if possible.

Reports can be made:

  • Online
  • By email at ieo@ou.edu
  • By phone or in person at:
    • Norman: Evans Hall, 660 Parrington Oval, Room 102; Phone: 405-325-3546 or 405-325-2215
    • Harold Hamm Health Campus: Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, 1105 Stonewall Ave., Suite 175, Oklahoma City; Phone: 405-271-2110
    • Tulsa: Founders Student Union, 4502 East 41st St. 1C76; Phone: 918-660-3107

If a student reports a concern, here's what generally happens:

  • Institutional Equity Office staff will first talk with the student about their options and offer support, whether or not the student wants to move forward with a formal complaint.
  • If a formal complaint is filed, IEO will confirm resolution tracks and provide information about the process.
  • A resolution may involve either a live hearing or an informal resolution, if the parties agree to participate.

Students who want to talk privately, without making a report to the university, can reach out to any of the following confidential resources:

  • OU Advocates offers a free, confidential 24/7 helpline, along with in-person support Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., for anyone experiencing sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, stalking, or sexual harassment.
  • Norman and Harold Hamm Health Campus: 405-615-0013.
  • Tulsa business hours: 918-660-3100. Tulsa after hours and weekends: 918-743-5763.

The University Counseling Center offers free, confidential counseling.

  • Norman: 405-325-2911
  • Harold Hamm Health Campus: 405-271-7336
  • Tulsa: 918-660-3109

The TimelyCare app gives every OU student, on every campus, free 24/7 virtual health and emotional support, with no insurance needed. Call 833-484-6359 or download the TimelyCare health and well-being app to get started.

The OU Report It! 24-hour Reporting Hotline serves as an added protection for OU students and is a way for students and employees to anonymously report concerns or possible misconduct. It handles reports of bias, discrimination, physical or mental harassment, or misconduct by OU community members. To access the hotline call 844-428-6531 or go to OU Report It!

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Student Pregnancy FAQs

Yes. If you are pregnant or have a pregnancy-related condition, you have the right to keep going to class and participating in University of Oklahoma programs and activities without being treated unfairly because of that status. The Institutional Equity Office is here to help make that possible.

The IEO works to make sure students have equal access to their education while pregnant or managing a pregnancy-related health condition. We can help you by:

  • Communicating with your professors on your behalf
  • Helping you locate a lactation room on campus
  • Coordinating with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center to implement academic modifications

Depending on your situation, possible modifications may include, but are not limited to:

  • Breaks during class to express breast milk, breastfeed, or attend to health needs related to pregnancy
  • Eating, drinking, or using the restroom as needed
  • Excused absences to attend medical appointments
  • Access to online or homebound education
  • Changes to your class schedule or course sequence
  • Extra time on coursework or rescheduled tests and exams
  • Permission to sit, stand, or keep water nearby during class
  • Counseling support
  • Changes to physical space or supplies, such as a larger desk or a footrest
  • Elevator access
  • Other reasonable changes to policies, practices, or procedures

Available modifications are determined on a case-by-case basis. You decide whether to accept or decline any modification offered to you. Nothing is required.

Every modification is based on your individual needs, and you generally do not need to provide medical documentation to request one. If a request would fundamentally change a course or program, or if it raises questions about whether it is reasonable, the IEO may ask for documentation from a healthcare provider. Some requested modifications may not be possible if they would fundamentally alter a program or create an undue hardship for the university.

Reports can be made:

  • Online
  • By email at ieo@ou.edu
  • By phone or in person at:
    • Norman: Evans Hall, 660 Parrington Oval, Room 102; Phone: 405-325-3546 or 405-325-2215
    • Harold Hamm Health Campus: Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library, 1105 Stonewall Ave., Suite 175, Oklahoma City; Phone: 405-271-2110
    • Tulsa: Founders Student Union, 4502 East 41st, St. 1C76; Phone: 918-660-3107

For Harold Hamm Health Campus and Tulsa programs, you may be referred to Student Accommodations Services for modifications.

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Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Harassment: What Employees Should Know

The Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Harassment Policy prohibits the following conduct:

  • Sex discrimination: treating a person unfairly because of their sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or pregnancy.
  • Sexual harassment: unwanted sexual attention or behavior based on a person’s gender that is so severe, repeated, or widespread that it unreasonably interferes with a person’s work or education.
  • Sexual violence: sexual acts committed against a person’s will or when a person cannot legally consent. This includes rape, fondling, incest, and other non-consensual sexual contact.
  • Dating violence and domestic violence: violence, including assault or other physical abuse, between people who are or have been in a romantic relationship, or who are related, married, or living together.
  • Stalking: a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would make a reasonable person fear for their safety or the safety of others, or suffer serious emotional distress.
  • Retaliation: punishing, or trying to punish, someone for reporting misconduct or for taking part in a complaint or investigation.

The Non-Discrimination Policy protects employees, students, and applicants from unfair treatment based on race, color, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), religion, political beliefs, age (40 or older), sex, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, gender identity or expression (consistent with applicable law), disability, or veteran status.

  • Discrimination: conduct directed at a person or group that adversely affects their employment, education, health care, or access to university benefits because of their actual or perceived membership in one of the groups listed above.
  • Harassment: unwelcome verbal or physical conduct directed at a person or group because of their membership in one of the groups listed above, when the conduct is severe or widespread enough to create a hostile environment or to interfere with a person’s job, education, or health care.
  • Antisemitism: hatred toward Jewish people, expressed in words or actions directed at Jewish or non-Jewish individuals, their property, or Jewish community institutions.
  • Retaliation: punishing, or trying to punish, someone for filing a complaint of discrimination or harassment, or for helping with an investigation.

The University of Oklahoma does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, gender identity or expression (consistent with applicable law), age (40 or older), religion, disability, political beliefs, or veteran status in any of its policies, practices, or procedures.

Supervisors, managers, and faculty with supervisory duties are required to report any allegations of prohibited conduct. All employees are expected to promptly report conduct they become aware of. You can report to:

  • Institutional Equity Office (Norman): 405-325-2215
  • Title VI/IX Coordinator: 405-325-3546
  • Institutional Equity Office (Harold Hamm Health Campus): 405-271-2110
  • Institutional Equity Office (Tulsa): 918-660-3107
  • Online Institutional Equity reporting form
  • Email: ieo@ou.edu

If you want to talk about a concern involving sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, or discrimination or harassment based on another protected trait without reporting to IEO, the following resources can offer confidential support. They are not required to tell the Title IX Coordinator or the Institutional Equity Office unless you ask them to, or unless the law requires it.

University policy prohibits retaliation against a person for filing a complaint of discrimination or harassment, or for assisting someone with a complaint, or for participating in any way in an investigation or resolution of a complaint.

Whether or not you file a formal complaint, the university can offer supportive measures. These are free, non-disciplinary services designed to protect your safety and well-being and to preserve your access to work or education. Examples include:

  • Changes to your schedules or locations
  • A no-contact order between the parties
  • Referrals to the Employee Assistance Program or counseling

When you request a supportive measure, IEO will review and assist in determining whether it is available given your job duties.

For additional resources at the Norman, Health, and Tulsa campuses, visit the Institutional Equity Office’s resources page.

If You Need Immediate Help

  • On campus: call OUPD at 405-325-1911
  • Off campus: call 911

Questions? Contact the Institutional Equity Office

Marci Gracey, Institutional Equity Officer and Title VI/IX Coordinator

Main Office: 660 Parrington Oval, Room 102, Norman, OK 73019

Phone: 405-325-3546  |  Email: ieo@ou.edu  |  Website: ou.edu/eoo

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Veteran Status Disclosure FAQs

Veteran Status Disclosures

The U.S. Department of Labor of Federal Contract Compliance Programs requires contractors to provide employees the opportunity to self-identify voluntarily as a protected veteran.

To meet this requirement and ongoing commitments, OU invites faculty and staff to update their veteran status by logging into the Self-Service section of PeopleSoft.

The university is required by law to conduct analyses of its workforce and to develop and implement an Affirmative Action Plan. These analyses help the university identify potential barriers to equal employment opportunities with respect to individuals with disabilities and veterans.

No, the information you provide is confidential and will not be used as the basis for any employment decision affecting you.

Veteran status information is considered confidential and is used for reporting purposes only. A limited number of administrators within Human Resources Records and the Institutional Equity Office have access to this information.

Completing the self-identification survey is voluntary but encouraged. Your participation helps ensure the accuracy of our workforce data, which is the basis for the University’s assessment of its recruiting, hiring, and retention efforts.

A veteran is a “protected veteran” under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) if they fall into one or more the following categories:

  • Disabled veteran
  • Recently separated veteran
  • Active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran
  • Armed Forces service medal veteran

For more information, please visit the Department of Labor website.

The university must demonstrate its good faith efforts to collect this information in order to evaluate its Affirmative Action efforts. The option “I don’t wish to answer” is provided in the survey, as submission is voluntary. Completing the survey, though, helps the university comply with reporting requirements.

Yes, please review your current status to ensure the university has the most current information. You may also update your status at any time by logging into the Self-Service section of PeopleSoft.

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Sexual Assault Prevention Training for Students FAQs

The goals of the training are to:

  • Inform students of their rights and responsibilities as OU students
  • Teach students how to step in – or intervene – to prevent sexual misconduct
  • Inform students of campus and local resources related to sexual misconduct
  • Empower students to create a safe and healthy campus community

The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing a workplace and education environment, as well as other benefits, programs, and activities free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, and to ensure compliance with federal law and regulations.

Pursuant to Board of Regents Policy, all students must successfully complete the Sexual Assault Prevention training. Failure to complete the training results in a student's inability to enroll.

To access and complete your training, or to verify you have completed the training, follow these steps:

  • Go to onpoint.ou.edu or onpoint.ouhsc.edu on a laptop or desktop (not the phone app)
  • Log in using your OUNet ID or your HSC Username
  • Any outstanding or incomplete training requirements will be listed under My Learning Assignments
  • Records of completed training can be found in Training Transcript

View this OnPoint Curriculum Registration Guide (pdf) for step-by-step visual instructions on how to start a specific training once you have logged into the OnPoint landing page.

Please contact the Institutional Equity Office at ieo@ou.edu or 405-325-3546.

There are three training modules that are tailored to your classification as either an undergraduate student, graduate student, or adult learner. Choose the module that best describes your current enrollment status. Completion of any module will meet your training requirement.

The training can take up to 90 minutes to complete. Be sure to click the “Next” button before you close the browser to avoid repeating that section again if you log out before completing the entire training. When you complete the training, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, indicating you have met your required training.

Holds may take up to 24 hours to be removed from accounts after completing training.

If the course does not progress, log off and open in another browser, or clear your cache and cookies for all time. If you still have trouble, submit a help ticket to the OnPoint Ticket Portal.

If you signed in for the training, your attendance will be uploaded with a list of completions in bulk. If it has been a while and you believe your attendance should be reflected by now, contact onpoint@ou.edu.

The student and employee versions of the training are unique to each group. For this reason, there are some student employees who will be required to complete both trainings.

Any enrolled degree-seeking student who does not complete the Title IX training by the assigned deadline will have a hold placed on their account that will prevent them from making changes to their enrollment, including waitlisted classes. All registration holds are released within 24 hours of training completion.

This online training contains some sensitive material involving sexual violence prevention. If you need support while completing the training, please refer to our Resources page for a list of both confidential and non-confidential resources, on and off campus. If you are a survivor of sexual violence or have concerns about the training, please contact the Institutional Equity Office at ieo@ou.edu to discuss your options.

You will receive email reminders until you complete your training module.

Please contact the Title IX Coordinator by email at ieo@ou.edu, by phone at (405) 325-3546, or by completing the Institutional Equity Reporting Form. Anyone can report incidents that occur on or off campus. Also, you can report an incident regardless of how long ago it may have occurred, and even if the incident did not involve you personally. The Institutional Equity Office (IEO) responds to every report it receives.

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RespectEdu for Employees: Preventing Harassment and Discrimination Training FAQs

The goals of the training are to:

  • Teach employees to identify all forms of discrimination, protected categories, bias in the workplace, and the impacts of discriminatory behavior
  • Teach employees how to step in – or intervene – to prevent harassment
  • Inform employees of campus and local resources related to harassment and discrimination

All active faculty, administration, staff, and student employees are required to complete the training.

As part of the university’s continued commitment to maintaining an environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, all employees including student employees will have 30 days from the date of assignment to complete the training.

To access and complete your training, follow these steps:

  • Go to onpoint.ou.edu or onpoint.ouhsc.edu on a laptop or desktop (not the phone app)
  • Log in using your OUNet ID or your HSC Username
  • Any outstanding or incomplete training requirements will be listed under My Learning Assignments
  • Records of completed training can be found in Training Transcript

There are two training modules that are tailored to your employment status as either a supervisor or non-supervisor; you will be automatically assigned to the appropriate version.

If the training is not showing up or you believe you’ve been assigned an incorrect training, please contact your manager.

The training may take up to 60 minutes to complete. You can complete the training in multiple sessions. Your progress will be saved each time you log in, and you can pick up where you left off in the training.

Please contact the Institutional Equity Office at ieo@ou.edu or 405-325-3546.

If the course does not progress, log off and open in another browser, or clear your cache and cookies for all time. If you still have trouble, submit a help ticket to the OnPoint Ticket Portal.

Yes, the student and employee versions of the training are unique to each group.

This online training contains some sensitive material involving sexual violence prevention. If you need support while completing the training, please refer to our Resources page for a list of both confidential and non-confidential resources, on and off campus. If you are a survivor of sexual violence or have concerns about the training, please contact the Institutional Equity Office at ieo@ou.edu to discuss your options.

Please contact the Title IX Coordinator by email at ieo@ou.edu, by phone at (405) 325-3546, or by completing the Institutional Equity Reporting Form. Anyone can report incidents that occur on or off campus. Also, you can report an incident regardless of how long ago it may have occurred, and even if the incident did not involve you personally. The Institutional Equity Office (IEO) responds to every report it receives.

Institutional Equity Offices

Norman Main Campus

Evans Hall
660 Parrington Oval
Room 102
Norman, OK  73019


Office: (405) 325-3546
FAX: (405) 325-3540
Email: ieo@ou.edu

Norman South Research Campus

Five Partners Place
201 Stephenson Parkway
Suite 4300
Norman, OK 73019


Office: (405) 325-2215
FAX: (405) 325-1057
Email: ieo@ou.edu

Harold Hamm Health Campus

Robert M. Bird Health Sciences Library
1105 Stonewall Avenue
Suite 175
Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1222


Email: ieo@ou.edu

Tulsa Campus

Founders Student Union
4502 East 41st Street
1C76
Tulsa, OK 74134


Office: (918) 660-3107
FAX: (918) 660-3101
Email: ieo@ou.edu