Policy for Promoting Safe and Respectful Environments in Grant Supported Events
This 2024 ASXL-Related Disorders Research Symposium and Family Conference is supported in part by the NIH through a R13 grant (1R13HD115384-01) awarded to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Statement of commitment
The University of California (“University”) is committed to maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all people who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in an atmosphere free of harassment, exploitation, or intimidation. Sexual violence, sexual harassment, retaliation, and other behavior prohibited by this Policy interfere with those goals. The University will respond promptly and effectively to reports of such conduct. This includes action to stop, prevent, correct, and when necessary, discipline, behavior that violates our policies.
Expectations of behavior
The University has general policies prohibiting harassment and discrimination on the basis of protected categories. Attendees of events organized by UCLA are expected to behave in accordance with University policies, including:
· UC Policy on Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace and the UC Nondiscrimination Policy Statement: The University prohibits discrimination against any person employed; seeking employment; or applying for or engaged in a paid or unpaid internship or training program leading to employment with the University of California on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender transition status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services, including protected veterans.
· The University of California Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH): The SVSH Policy communicates expectations for individual conduct and outlines the University’s responsibilities and procedures related to Prohibited Conduct in order to ensure an equitable and inclusive education and employment environment free of sexual violence and sexual harassment. The Policy defines Prohibited Conduct, including sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, stalking, invasion of sexual privacy, sexual exploitation and retaliation against anyone reporting or participating in an SVSH process. The Policy explains the administrative procedures the University uses to resolve reports of Prohibited Conduct.
· Guidelines for Preventing and Responding to Faculty Bullying and Other Demeaning & Disruptive Behavior: The guidelines outline preventing and responding to bullying and other demeaning and disruptive behavior and communicate the importance of promoting and maintaining a departmental/ school culture in which it is clear that bullying and demeaning behavior are contrary to its norms and expectations and, thus, cannot be condoned or tolerated.
· Code of Conduct: The Faculty Code of Conduct (Academic Personnel Manual, section 015) communicates ethical principles as well as professional rights and responsibilities. Unacceptable conduct includes, but is not limited to, violations of any university policy, including the UC Policy on SVSH; use of faculty position or powers to coerce or harm students; or conducting romantic or sexual relationships with any student for whom the faculty member has (or could reasonably expect to have in the future) academic supervisory responsibilities.
· Campus Student Code of Conduct: The Student Code of Conduct includes rules of conduct intended to foster behaviors that are consistent with a civil and educational setting.
· The University of California, Los Angeles Principles of Community are:
We believe that diversity is critical to maintaining excellence in all of our endeavors.
We seek to foster open-mindedness, understanding, compassion and inclusiveness among individuals and groups.
We are committed to ensuring freedom of expression and dialogue, in a respectful and civil manner, on the spectrum of views held by our varied and diverse campus communities.
We value differences as well as commonalities and promote respect in personal interactions.
We affirm our responsibility for creating and fostering a respectful, cooperative, equitable and civil campus environment for our diverse campus communities.
We strive to build a community of learning and fairness marked by mutual respect.
We do not tolerate acts of discrimination, harassment, profiling or other conduct causing harm to individuals on the basis of expression of race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religious beliefs, political preference, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship or national origin, among other personal characteristics. Such conduct violates UCLA’s Principles of Community and may result in imposition of sanctions according to campus policies governing the conduct of students, staff and faculty.
We acknowledge that modern societies carry historical and divisive biases based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation and religion, and we seek to promote awareness and understanding through education and research and to mediate and resolve conflicts that arise from these biases in our communities.
Seeking support for survivors or witnesses of sexual violence and harassment and reporting violations of University Policy
Seeking support at UCLA
If you have been affected by sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating/intimate partner violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, and/or invasions of privacy, know there are resources available to support you.
The UCLA Campus Assault Resources and Education (CARE) program operates from an anti-oppression framework and is committed to the eradication of sexual and gender-based violence through creating and sustaining a safe, healthy, equitable community for all people.
To make an appointment, please visit their website: https://careprogram.ucla.edu/
Reporting violations of University Policy to UCLA
The UCLCA Title IX Office, responds to and resolves reports of harassment and discrimination that are related to protected class and civil rights policies, including reports of sexual violence and sexual harassment.
To make a report to the UCLA Title IX Office, please email titleIX@equity.ucla.edu or call (310) 206-3417. You may also submit an online incident form here.
Reporting any violations of the law
To report a crime, including sexual violence, dating or domestic violence, stalking, and/or invasion of privacy that occurred on University property, please contact the University of California Police Department (UCPD). In an emergency, please call 911 or, if you are on campus, use the UCPD 24/7 line: (310) 825-1491 or the anonymous reporting line: (310) 794-5824. To report a crime that occurred somewhere else besides University property, contact the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction at that location. distribution
Other options for lodging concerns or complaints related to harassment
Individuals who have questions, concerns or complaints related to harassment are also encouraged to contact the conference organizer or the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Information about how to file a complaint with HHS OCR and what to expect can be found on the Filing a Civil Rights Complaint page of the HHS OCR website. Please name the conference organizer as the institution hosting the event (e.g. “UCLA”), rather than the specific PI or department. You may cc the chair of the department if you wish.
Individuals can notify NIH about concerns of harassment, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and other forms of inappropriate conduct at NIH-supported conferences. More information is available on the NIH Find Help webpage.
Please note that lodging a complaint with the conference organizer is not required before filing a complaint of discrimination with other offices, including HHS OCR. Similarly, seeking assistance from the conference organizer in no way prohibits filing complaints with OPHD, law enforcement, or HHS OCR.
Reporting obligations for UCLA Employees
UCLA employees (including student employees) who are not designated confidential resources are Responsible Employees, meaning they have certain reporting obligations under the UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy. When someone comes to you with a concern related to sexual violence or harassment, it’s crucial that you listen, support, and offer resources. Please offer the impacted person a warm referral to the CARE Program. You are expected to share what you learned with the Title IX office.
Reporting obligations to external agencies
Some forms of misconduct (sexual violence and sexual harassment, protected-class harassment/discrimination, abusive conduct/bullying) requires reporting to a federal agency if a PI or co-PI (or other member of the lab) is accused and there’s a finding of a policy violation or other interim disciplinary action.
Organizers’ responsibilities
Event organizers, if they are employees of UCLA, are Responsible Employees and have an obligation to report any allegations or observed violations of the SVSH policy that involve students to the Title IX officer. Organizers who hold a faculty, management, or supervisory position at UCLA are required to report any behavior involving anyone affiliated with the university.
For allegations of other types of misconduct (i.e. harassment, discrimination, bullying/abusive conduct, fraud/waste/misuse etc), organizers are encouraged to consult with the Title IX office to learn more about how best to address these concerns, including available rights, options and resources. The Title IX office can also assist in connecting with officials at other institutions if the allegations involve non-affiliates. Organizers should not attempt to investigate matters on their own.
Please only provide information to the Title IX office that you were told or you know. Please do NOT try to determine whether something actually occurred, or ask for more details. As a Responsible Employee, it is not your role to investigate the matter or to take punitive action. In fact, doing so could cause unintended harm to the parties in the matter, and could jeopardize the Title IX office’s ability to take the steps needed to ensure a fair and safe process.
Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) have additional responsibilities under the Clery Act. If you are a Campus Security Authority and need to file a Clery crime report, policies provided here.