Frequently asked questions
- What prompted the creation of this umbrella office?
The creation of this office came from a recommendation to the President to establish a centralized umbrella office to oversee both SVSH and non-SVSH discrimination and harassment allegations. This office is needed because currently, oversight of these allegations is siloed in different units. One central goal of SOCR is to provide direction and support in establishing parity and consistency among UC’s responses to allegations of discrimination and harassment.
- Do other institutions across the U.S. have a similar structure?
Yes, several of UC’s comparators have similar structures with umbrella offices to oversee civil rights protections across the institution. For example, CSU, SUNY Buffalo, MIT, University of Virginia, University of Michigan and University of Illinois all have one umbrella office for SVSH and non-SVSH allegations.
- Will the scope of this new office overlap with policies that fall under HR’s, Academic Personnel’s, and other functions’ purview?
The scope of the work for the SOCR will be focused on policies that pertain to protected categories, as defined by state and federal law. There will be extensive collaboration with HR, Academic Personnel, and other functions across the University, but the scope of policies in SOCR focus specifically on protections of civil rights.
- What’s going to happen to campus Title IX offices? Are the campuses going to have to create umbrella offices as well?
At the UCOP, the Systemwide Title IX Office will move under the purview of the larger umbrella SOCR office. At the campus level, most campuses are already doing this work with an umbrella office structure. Most of the local Title IX Offices function within larger civil rights or compliance offices. Ultimately, it will be up to the locations to determine the structure that best works for them.
- Why does this office report directly to the President?
The reporting structure for the SOCR was thoroughly researched and there were several options considered. Given the importance of maintaining an autonomous unit to oversee civil rights protections and maintain independent authority for investigations, it was decided to create an office without ties to other functional areas. Similarly, several of UC’s comparator institutions across the nation have similar structures that signal the importance of this office to the larger goals of the institution.
