OEC Advisors
Purpose of an OEC Advisor
The advisor’s purpose is to support an individual during the OEC complaint resolution processes. An advisor is permitted to accompany the individual to initial intake meetings, interviews, and live hearings.
Guidelines for Advisors
Advisors Can…
- Confer with their advisee
- Accompany the advisee to all the meetings and proceedings related to the complaint resolution processes
In Complaint Resolution Processes Involving Allegations of Title IX Sexual Harassment:
- At the live Hearing, advisors are permitted to ask parties and witnesses all relevant questions and follow-up questions. Additional information about an advisor’s role at the live Hearing is included in Section 11.6.3.1.2 Live Hearings of the Sexual Misconduct Policy.
- Advisors will receive access to the investigative report and all directly-related evidence, as set forth in Section 11.6.2. Advisors may have access to information as described in Section 11.6.2.
Advisors Can NOT…
- actively participate in the complaint resolution process
- appear instead of the Complainant or Respondent or speak on their behalf in either in-person or written communications to the University.
- communicate directly with the Investigators, Title IX Coordinator, Title IX Hearing Officer(s), /Adjudicator(s), Appeal Board members, or any other school official involved in the process and may not interrupt or delay the process.
The OEC Prohibits:
- Retaliation against any individuals filing a report/Formal Complaint or participating in the complaint resolution process. As an advisor, you are protected by and subject to the Advisor Role and Confidentiality Agreement. You may not retaliate against any person participating in this process. If you have experienced retaliation based on your participation in an OEC complaint resolution process, please contact the OEC immediately
Remember…
- Parties must notify the OEC of whom they have selected as their advisor. The University will notify a party to the complaint resolution process if another party involved in the process has obtained an advisor.
- The OEC reserves the right to dismiss an advisor with cause, which includes failure to comply with these requirements, including violations of confidentiality or other forms of interference with the complaint resolution process.
- If an advisor is dismissed from the process, the Party will have the opportunity to select a new advisor so that the new advisor can accompany them during the process. If the dismissal occurs during the live Hearing, the Party may select a new one or for the explicit purpose of the live Hearing, may request an advisor from the University. The University will appoint an advisor, but only for the limited purpose of conducting questioning on behalf of the party at the live Hearing.
Prior to being provided access to evidence and/or the investigation report as part of the complaint resolution process, advisors must sign the OEC Non-Disclosure Agreement agreeing that they will use the information, evidence, and documents that they receive or have access to in the role as an advisor only for purposes of acting as an advisor in the complaint resolution process and that they will not disclose or disseminate such information, among other terms.