Respondent Services for Faculty and Other Academic Appointees
Respondent Services, offered through the Academic Personnel Office, provides information and referrals to faculty and other academic appointees who have been charged with violating the UC Policy on SVSH. The goal of this service is to ensure that academic appointees who are engaged in an administrative SVSH process are informed about campus procedures and resources.
If you are an academic appointee who has been accused of violating the SVSH Policy, you may contact the Academic Personnel Office to be connected with a respondent services provider.
Academic Personnel Office Contact Information
Email: appolicy@berkeley.edu
Phone: 510-642-5626
The role of the Respondent Services provider
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 Support Resources
Confidential Counseling
Be Well at Work/Employee Assistance
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.
Non-Senate academic appointees and postdoctoral scholars also have access to confidential, professional ombuds services on campus:
The Staff Ombuds Office
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
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.
Process and Policies
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.