Academic Respondent Services

Respondent Services providers can do the following:

• Help you understand your rights

• Explain the investigation and adjudication processes

• Provide you with information about campus resources and help connect you with those resources

It is important to note that a Respondent Services provider is NOT:

• A confidential resource*

• An advocate on behalf of the respondent
• Able to provide legal counsel or case advice

*The staff providing respondent services are considered “Responsible Employees,” not confidential resources.  Respondent Services providers can refer respondents to confidential campus resources.

The Respondent Services provider working with a respondent does not participate in the investigation or resolution of the respondent’s case.   

Confidential Counseling 

Be Well at Work/Employee Assistance(link is external)

If you have been named as someone who may have violated the UC SVSH Policy, you may be experiencing a range of emotions and questions about your life and your future. The Be Well at Work/Employee Assistance office (part of University Health Services) office provides no cost confidential counseling and referral for UC Berkeley faculty, staff, visiting scholars, and postdocs.

To schedule an appointment with an Employee Assistance counselor, please phone the office at (510) 643-7754 or email employeeassistance@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail).

Non-Senate academic appointees and postdoctoral scholars also have access to confidential, professional ombuds services on campus:

The Staff Ombuds Office(link is external)

The Staff Ombuds Office is an independent department that provides strictly confidential, impartial and informal conflict resolution and problem-solving services for all staff, non-senate academics, and faculty who perform management functions. The Staff Ombuds Office provides a safe place for individuals to voice and clarify concerns, understand conflict situations, and think through how they want to proceed at their own pace.  As an informal resource, the Staff Ombuds Office can clarify or explain University processes, but they do not participate in formal hearings or investigations nor do they have authority to render decisions. To schedule an appointment at the Staff Ombuds Office, please phone the office at  (510) 642-7823. 

The Ombuds Office for Students & Postdoctoral Appointees(link is external)

The Ombuds Office for Students and Postdoctoral Appointees ombuds provides clarification, in a confidential space, on policy and procedures and coaching on difficult situations. The Ombuds is a neutral party, not an advocate. To schedule an appointment, please phone the Ombuds office at 510-642-5754. 

A respondent is a person alleged, in a report to OPHD to have engaged in discrimination or harassment including sexual harassment and sexual assault as defined by the UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (“UC SVSH Policy”).

Information about the UC SVSH Policy, and the associated investigation and adjudication procedures, can be found on the Policies and Procedures page of the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) website(link is external).