Reporting a Concern to Equal Opportunity
Appalachian State University is committed to providing an institutional environment free from discrimination and harassment to members of the Appalachian community, including students, faculty, staff, and others who participate in University Programs and activities or conduct business on behalf of the University.
The Equal Opportunity (EO) unit within the Office of Access & Equity is the designated office to receive and navigate concerns of:
- discrimination or harassment based on protected status,
- retaliation, and
- workplace violence.
Reporting: Reports may be made by completing the Access & Equity: Equal Opportunity Incident Report Form or by phone, in-person, or mail directly to the EO office. Reporting should generally be made within 180 days of the alleged Prohibited Conduct (see specific resolution procedures for applicable reporting timelines.) Delays in reporting could impact the University’s ability to respond and impact EO’s ability to implement these procedures
Initial Response: Individuals may report incidents they are personally experiencing or of which they have knowledge. University employees must report incidents pursuant to University policies. Reporting an incident to EO does not mean that a formal resolution process must be pursued. Upon receipt, an assessment is completed to determine if the alleged conduct falls under the purview of the office. EO will determine applicable next steps which may include: outreach to parties, supportive measures, resource referrals, and resolution options.
Privacy: Anonymous reporting is an option but the ability to respond or take further action may be impacted by the level of available information regarding the incident or individuals involved. EO values trust and works diligently to respect privacy, however, anonymity is unable to be guaranteed. Through the resolution of concerns, EO maintains privacy to the fullest extent possible but may need to partner with other areas such as Academic Affairs, Human Resources, or Student Affairs to best resolve the concern.
Resolution Procedures: EO utilizes resolution procedures when resolving allegations of prohibited conduct.
Other Reporting Options
NOTE: reports to these departments may not be confidential.
| Type of Incident or Concern | Report to |
| Incidents of harassment that may be a crime under state criminal law, such as a physical assault, sexual assault, relationship violence or stalking. | Law Enforcement |
| Concerns for a student’s behavior or conduct | Office of Student Conduct |
| Concerns about a faculty's behavior in association with their position at Appalachian | Senior Vice Provost of Faculty Policies and Development within Academic Affairs |
| Concerns about an employee’s behavior (EPS, SHRA, and student) in association with their position at Appalachian | Office of Human Resources |
| Concerns regarding fraud, waste, or abuse | Internal Audits (may report anonymously) |
| Safety concerns related to environmental health, safety, and emergency management functions. | Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (“EHS&EM”) |
| Concern about reasonably suspecting that a minor has been abused or neglected by a parent, guardian, caregiver, or staff member. | County Department of Social Services (“DSS”). |
| Incident of abuse or neglect related to a University-sponsored/affiliated youth program or activity. | Conference and Event Services and App State Police Reports may involve minors and/or program staff, and should be reported to Conference and Event Services at 828- 262-7273 or minorsoncampus@appstate.edu. |
| Emergencies | call 911 or App State Police (828)262-8000 |
External Complaint Processes
An individual may also file a complaint with the appropriate external federal, state, or local agency within the time frame required by law. Depending upon the nature of the complaint, the appropriate agency may be the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Headquarters
131 M Street, NE
Washington, DC 20507
Phone: 202-663-4900
Email: info@eeoc.gov
Web: http://www.eeoc.gov(link is external)
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Office for Civil Rights, National Headquarters
U.S. Department of Education
Lyndon Baines Johnson Dept. of Education Building
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
Telephone: 800-421-3481
Fax: 202-453-6012; TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: OCR@ed.gov