University at Buffalo (UB)
Are you, or is someone you know, a victim of harassment, mistreatment or discrimination? As a doctoral student, you have options to report incidents.
If you feel you have been subjected to mistreatment and/or conduct that violates the school’s Learning Environment Policy, or if you have witnessed behavior you believe violates the policy, we encourage you to report the incident via EthicsPoint.
EthicsPoint is a comprehensive and confidential reporting tool to help the UB community address abuse and report any incidents related to harassment, discrimination and mistreatment.
If the report is in regard to a more systemic environmental issue, the senior associate dean for student and academic affairs and senior associate dean for diversity and inclusion will be notified and will take action.
Students and trainees who have experienced discrimination or harassment in violation of UB’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy have the right to consult with the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).
EDI ensures UB’s compliance with policies covering discrimination, harassment, accommodations, equal opportunity and child protection.
To file a report:
While many issues can be resolved through direct conversation between the mentor and trainee, some may prove more challenging.
If the nature of the disagreement is unable to be resolved, or if you have experienced mistreatment by a faculty member other than your research adviser, you may choose from the following official channels for reporting and resolution:
Students in their first year of the PhD Programs in Biomedical Sciences (PPBS) should report conflicts/mistreatment either verbally or in writing to the PPBS program director and/or a member of the PPBS steering committee.
Opportunities to discuss learning environment issues are provided in regularly scheduled town hall meetings where students can share feedback/report grievances to the program director.
For problems occurring after your first year, we encourage you to report conflicts/mistreatment to your departmental director of graduate studies, the departmental graduate affairs committee and/or chair of the department.
Should the complaint involve the department chair, we advise you to report the incident to the senior associate dean for research and graduate education, or directly to the Office of the Dean
It is important to the integrity of the mentor-trainee relationship that conflicts between trainee and trainer be addressed quickly and without escalation, if possible.
A group of Jacobs School faculty called Mentoring Advocates has been assembled to consult with trainees and faculty on how to address conflicts and, if necessary, to assist with conflict mediation and resolution.
If a hospital employee is involved in any incident, the incident will be reported to human resources at the facility where it occurred.
Any resolution will be communicated to the DIALE Committee.
Contact University Police immediately at (716) 645-2222 if you feel you are in danger. University Police should also be contacted to report any threatening or dangerous behavior.
University policy prohibits retaliation against individuals who, in good faith, provide reports or complaints of incidents of mistreatment and/or violation of this policy.
Claims of retaliation will be investigated separately from the initial report. Individuals who believe they are experiencing retaliation are encouraged to contact the chairs of this committee.
Students who experience retaliation for reporting discriminatory or harassing conduct should contact the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.