Policies, Guidance, and Memos

Dear OSU Community Members,

Welcome back to a new academic year at Oregon State University (OSU). I am emailing to ensure that everyone is aware of their expectations and obligations as members of our community, and of resources available through the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA).

OSU is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, respectful, equitable, and inclusive working and learning environment. In furtherance of that commitment, the university prohibits discrimination in every OSU educational program and activity. OSU’s policies prohibiting discrimination, discriminatory harassment, retaliation, and sexual misconduct can be found within the University Policy and Standards Manual. Students and employees should promptly complete their annually required online training related to these policies and expectations. 

Reporting Concerns

If you experience conduct not in alignment with OSU’s commitments, you are encouraged to report your concern to a university office so the issue can be promptly addressed.

• Concerns of discrimination, discriminatory harassment, retaliation, or sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment, dating or domestic violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, and all forms of nonconsensual sexual contact) can be reported to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access.
• Concerns related to bias can be reported to the Office of Institutional Diversity’s Bias Response Team.
• General concerns about student conduct can be reported to Student Community Standards.
• Other concerns about suspected wrongdoing or breaches of ethical conduct can be reported to OSU’s Accountability and Integrity Hotline.

Employee Obligations (including Student Employees)

OSU’s Responsible Employee Policy

Most OSU employees (including student employees) are Responsible Employees and must immediately report to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access actual or suspected discrimination, discriminatory harassment, retaliation, and sexual misconduct when they become aware or have reason to believe that a violation of university policy may have occurred. All employees are strongly encouraged to review the responsible employee policy to ensure they thoroughly understand their obligations. No one impacted by discrimination is required to engage with EOA, but EOA is available to discuss options and supports.

Some employees who serve in professional roles in which their communication is privileged by law or recognized as exempt by the university are exempt from this internal reporting requirement. See section 5.3 of the policy for more details on exempt employees and offices.

Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect

All OSU employees are mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. Employees must immediately report suspected child abuse or neglect to either the Department of Human Services (DHS) or law enforcement. After reporting to DHS or law enforcement, individuals must submit a post-report notification to EOA when the reported child abuse incident involves university activities, locations, or affiliated persons. More information on reporting child abuse and neglect can be found on the Office of Youth Protection’s website.

Resources Available through the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access

EOA oversees university-wide compliance with state and federal civil rights regulations and policies, including Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Amendments of 2008 (ADAAA), and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, among many other laws. EOA is charged to act as an independent, fair, and impartial office that helps ensure the university fulfills its ethical and legal obligations to students, employees, visitors, and other members of the OSU community. While EOA does not communicate publicly about individual cases, it takes all complaints seriously and reports on outcomes in aggregate annually.

Complaints and Concerns

EOA is the university office designated to respond to civil rights complaints and concerns. When a report is received, EOA will email the impacted person information on their rights, options, and available resources. No one impacted by discrimination is required to engage with EOA, but EOA is available to discuss options and supports. Additionally, EOA can facilitate both informal and formal responses to complaints, based on the impacted person’s expressed desire for resolution and the reported concerns. Students and employees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with EOA’s resolution processes.

Accommodations

All OSU employees share the responsibility to ensure that no individual with a disability is excluded from participating in university programs or activities and that individuals are reasonably accommodated where needed. EOA provides workplace disability accommodations for employees, as well as religious and pregnancy accommodations for students and employees. Students with disabilities seeking educational accommodations should contact OSU’s Disability Access Services. Please refer to OSU’s policies related to disability, the Disability Access Services (DAS) Faculty and Staff Guidelines, and EOA Accommodations for more in-depth information on student and employee accommodation processes.

Please reach out to EOA should you have any questions or need assistance.

Thank you,

Becky Bangs

Associate Vice President and Chief Civil Rights Officer, Title IX and ADA Coordinator

Dear OSU Community Members,

Welcome back to a new academic year at Oregon State University (OSU)! We are writing to share a reminder regarding religious holiday observances, and to confirm that the university is committed to providing support for students and employees whose religious observance may have an impact on classes, schedules and dietary needs. OSU has established a pilot calendar of religious and spiritual observances that are salient to OSU community members, and information regarding both updates is included in this message.

OSU's Religious Accommodations of Students Policy & Community Resources

We request that faculty work with all undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of learning modality, as outlined in OSU’s Religious Accommodation of Students Policy. It is incumbent on the student making the request to notify their faculty member or supervisor as soon as possible prior to the need for accommodation, although we recognize that holidays closely aligned with the start of a term may make that difficult. Students should work directly with their faculty member on these requests, and we ask that faculty provide reasonable accommodations to allow for the completion of any missed course deliverables. Faculty and staff can approve requests for religious accommodations without consultation, but must first contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access before denying a request.

Below we provide information regarding dining and food options available on the Corvallis campus and at OSU-Cascades.

Corvallis Campus Resources

Quiet Spaces

Quiet spaces are offered on the third floor of the Student Experience Center (SEC) (hours of access are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and in the International Living Learning Center (ILLC) Multi-Faith Room, located on the fourth floor (hours of access are Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.). Foot-washing stations are located in the restrooms on the third floor of the SEC and on the fourth floor of the ILLC. Residence Hall lounges are available to serve as quiet spaces for on-campus residents as well. No reservations are required and these spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Dining and Food Options

Residential students in Corvallis practicing a faith-based diet who need to develop a plan that will meet dietary needs for upcoming holidays and beyond should visit the housing portal and fill out a dietary needs request for assistance. Students can also use the housing portal to submit suggestions about specific foods that could be added to campus convenience stores and dining centers or access to spaces for meal preparations, etc.

Food in all UHDS dining centers is labeled for dietary preferences and allergen needs. UHDS carries many Halal-Friendly and Kosher-certified packaged goods, as well as a variety of whole foods (fruits, vegetables, dairy and grains) at Cascadia Market in the ILLC. Visit University Housing & Dining Services for more information about all available food options, restaurants and menus.

OSU-Cascades Resources

Quite Spaces

A quiet space, called the Reflection Room, is offered on the upper floor of the Student Success Center. This room serves as a meditation/multi-faith quiet space for stduents, and is avialable on a first-come, first-served basis. A foot-washing station is located in the private bathroom on the upper floor as well.

Dining and Food Options

Residential students at OSU-Cascades who practice a faith-based diet and need to develop a plan that will meet dietary needs for upcoming holidays and beyond, please complete the dietary needs form, and dining staff can assist in developing a plan that will meet dietary needs for upcoming holidays and beyond.

Religious and Spiritual Observance Calendar

Oregon State University has created a calendar illustrating observances shared by members of the OSU community. The calendar is a pilot that seeks to serve multiple purposes:

• as a valuable resource for OSU leadership when making decisions regarding important OSU dates, deadlines, and timelines, and
• a useful tool for supervisors and teaching faculty when creating work schedules and course calendars.

You may find the calendar on the Office of the Dean of Students website. The calendar is not exhaustive of all observances celebrated by OSU community members and is intended to be an illustrative example; faculty and supervisors are reminded that accommodations should be considered for all observances, whether or not they appear on the calendar.

If you have any questions, concerns, or recommendations, please do not hesitate to directly contact the Office of the Dean of Students or Office of Equal Opportunity and Access.

Reporting Concerns

OSU is committed to creating and maintaining an equitable and inclusive working and learning environment. If you experience conduct that falls short of this commitment, please report your concern to a university office so we can promptly address the issue. Most OSU employees are Responsible Employees and must report discrimination, discriminatory harassment, retaliation, and sexual misconduct to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. Concerns of bias can be reported to the Office of Institutional Diversity’s Bias Response Team.

Thank you for assisting our students in balancing their academic schedules, employment duties, and religious observances. We wish you all a great start to fall term.

We wish you all a great start to fall term.

Kevin A. Dougherty

Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs

Dean of Students

[email protected]

Becky Bangs

Associate Vice President and Chief Civil Rights Officer, Title IX and ADA Coordinator

[email protected]

Alix Gitelman

Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

[email protected]

To request this information in an alternative format please contact [email protected].

Dear OSU Colleagues,

Respect is a core value within Oregon State community and the university is committed to contributing to a respectful environment that is safe, inclusive and welcoming.

Although the core value of respect is reflected in most daily interactions, the university provides resources to assist employees who may be subjected to inappropriate conduct such as discriminatory, threatening, harassing or abusive behaviors.

Each year, we remind employees of resources available to assist them when inappropriate conduct occurs. Any employee who believes they have been subjected to inappropriate workplace conduct should immediately take their concerns to their supervisor or unit head. Alternatively, or additionally, employees can obtain assistance from the following offices:

• The University Ombuds Office is an informal resource available to employees who feel they are being subjected to disrespectful or inappropriate conduct. The University Ombuds Office is a neutral and confidential resource. Please note that the University Ombuds Office is not an office of notice and with limited exceptions, has no duty or responsibility to report incidents to any person or authority. More information on the scope and limits of this office can be found on the Ombuds Office website.
  The Ombuds Office is the first recommended step for employees who feel they have been the target of conduct that might violate the university’s bullying policy. Ombuds staff can assist employees to identify the type of conflict occurring, discuss options for informal resolution, and refer employees to more formal options when they are ready.
• Employee and Labor Relations, within University Human Resources, assists employees with concerns related to inappropriate workplace conduct and unprofessional behavior. Employee and Labor Relations staff encourage employees and supervisors to share concerns and will offer support with a variety of coaching tools and, when appropriate, corrective action. Employee and Labor Relations also assists with interpretation of the applicable collective bargaining agreement, as appropriate.
• The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access assists employees with concerns of discrimination or discriminatory harassment, sexual misconduct and retaliation. Following an initial meeting, EOA staff can help employees address these types of behavior through formal or voluntary informal resolution processes when appropriate.
• The Office of Institutional Diversity coordinates the university's Bias Response Team, which is responsible for the university’s Reported Bias Incident Response Protocol. This protocol provides an educational process to provide care and to comprehensively, collaboratively and consistently address bias incidents that affect Oregon State University students, faculty and staff.

Of course, the most effective way to sustain a respectful community is through the good faith efforts of each one of us. We appreciate and thank you for your efforts to contribute to, foster and sustain a respectful and inclusive work and learning environment at OSU.
Sincerely,

Heather Horn
Vice Provost for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer
Office of University Human Resources

Rick Settersten
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Office of Faculty Affairs

Becky Bangs
Executive Director
Office of Equal Opportunity and Access

Greetings OSU community,

April is Sexual Assault Awareness & Action Month (SAAM), a time to recognize that sexual abuse, assault, and harassment are widespread issues that impact people across all our communities. SAAM campaigns raise public awareness about sexual violence and provide actionable ways to get involved in preventing sexual violence and supporting those who have been harmed.

The national theme for SAAM 2025, “Together We Act, United We Change,” emphasizes the importance of communities working together, looking out for each other, and promoting safety and well-being collectively.

At Oregon State University, as part of our commitment to violence prevention, we ask our community to engage in online learning annually related to this topic. Additionally, we have dedicated teams, like the Center for Advocacy, Prevention & Education (CAPE) and the Office of Equal Opportunity & Access (EOA), working daily to provide engaging educational opportunities, support for survivors of gender-based violence, and accountability for those who are causing harm.

There are many ways to find your place in this work and opportunities to engage this month in supporting those in our community who have experienced impacts from sexual violence. CAPE has created a SAAM Toolkit and event calendar and planned various events throughout the month in collaboration with multiple OSU partners. Denim Day, on April 30, 2025, will be commemorated with an activity fair on the Brick Mall of the Corvallis campus.

Please join us this month and every month by being part of the Beavers Give a Dam effort to prevent gender-based violence.

In Solidarity,

Allison Riser, Director, Center for Advocacy, Prevention & Education

Kelly Hower, Executive Director, Student Health Services

Becky Bangs, Executive Director, Equal Opportunity & Access

Greetings OSU Employees,

In compliance with state and federal legal requirements, OSU employees will complete two refreshed Critical Trainings beginning this week. Additional information can be found below; we appreciate your attentiveness and completion of this training requirement.

What to Expect:

You will receive an email notification from [email protected] informing you that you are assigned two OSU Critical Trainings: Access & Inclusion, and Fostering Equitable Working & Learning Environments.

• You will have 60 days from the date of notification to complete each training.

• Please plan approximately 60 minutes total to complete both trainings.

• Notifications will provide links to the trainings as well as your training deadlines.

Ongoing Recertification Requirements:

• Fostering Equitable Working & Learning Environments will be automatically reassigned every year.

• Access & Inclusion will be automatically reassigned every two years.

Why This Matters:

The university prohibits sexual misconduct, discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and retaliation in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admission and employment. All individuals who are participating in university programs and activities have the right to do so fully, free from prohibited discrimination, discriminatory harassment, retaliation, and sexual misconduct.

As members of the Oregon State University community, we share a commitment to integrity, ethical conduct, and compliance with laws and policies. The policies maintained by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA) further OSU’s commitment to creating and maintaining safe, respectful, equitable, and inclusive working and learning environments for all. By prioritizing these Critical Trainings, you will help OSU meet our goal of being a fully inclusive workplace and educational community.

About the OSU Critical Training Program:

The OSU Critical Training Program provides required online training that helps OSU employees uphold our shared values and responsibilities. Successful completion of the OSU Critical Training assignments is a condition of employment.

• Information about completion tracking and reporting can be found at Critical Training Program Questions & Answers, in the section for Supervisors.
• For additional information about the OSU Critical Training Program, please visit the Critical Training Program Q&A or contact [email protected].

Sincerely,

Becky Bangs
Executive Director, Title IX and ADA Coordinator
The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access

TO: The OSU Campus Community

FROM: Equal Opportunity and Access and Academic Affairs

RE: 2024 - 2025 Disability Accommodation Memo

Dear Oregon State Colleagues,

Oregon State University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for all students with disabilities. It is the university’s responsibility to ensure that no qualified student with a disability is excluded from participating in university programs or activities and to reasonably accommodate where needed. Providing equal educational opportunity is an important and shared responsibility. Faculty and staff play a critical role in ensuring equal access.

Please refer to OSU's policies related to disability, the Disability Access Services (DAS) Faculty and Staff Guidelines for more in-depth information, and the DAS Student Handbook for more in-depth information.

Syllabus Statement

DAS and Faculty Senate provide a model accommodation statement that must be included in all syllabi.

Disability Access Services Instructor Information

DAS has implemented an instructor online services portal to provide a single space for instructors to review all DAS-related accommodation notifications for students in their classes. The DAS Notification Letters will still be emailed, this is an additional way to access the information.

In addition to the OSU Critical Training for Promoting Equal Opportunity & Inclusion, DAS offers a concise (30-minute) self-paced online course about accommodations: Disability Access Services Faculty Training.

If you have any questions, connect with DAS either by Zoom drop-in from 10:30 AM -12:30 PM (M-F) (PST), email [email protected], or phone at 541-737-4098.

Canvas and Remote Teaching Material Accessibility

Courses created in Canvas, as well as electronic documents and media, need to be accessible for students with disabilities. Multiple OSU offices have developed resources on making materials accessible. Resources include: Canvas – Improving Accessibility in Your Course; Ally for Canvas, an accessibility checker and tool for Canvas; and Creating and Editing Captions in Kaltura and Zoom.

Aira Visual Interpreting

OSU has partnered with Aira, a company that provides 24-hour-a-day on-demand remote visual interpretation services for the blind and low-vision community. This new service is free for all OSU community members and visitors.

OSU’s Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability policy states

...no qualified person shall, solely by reason of disability, be denied access to, participation in, or the benefits of, any program or activity provided by the University. Each qualified person shall receive the reasonable accommodations needed to ensure equal access to employment, educational opportunities, programs and activities in the most integrated setting feasible.

Thank you for your attention to understanding our obligations.

Becky Bangs

Executive Director, Equal Opportunity and Access

Alix Gitelman

Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

13 February 2024

Hello colleagues,

We are writing to ensure everyone is aware that an Oregon bill (SB 569) was passed during the 2023 legislative session which expands existing requirements regarding the use of closed captioning on televisions in public spaces. Specifically, the bill now requires that closed captioning be activated on all public televisions in use (or at least 50% of all televisions if there are multiple televisions within the same area). This includes televisions, display screens, or monitors broadcasting audio content in all public areas inside or outside of OSU buildings, dining halls, the memorial union, athletic spaces, etc. 

There are a few exceptions, including if the screen is less than 12 inches or if the television does not have the technical capability to display closed captioning (see the bill for details or let us know if you have questions).

If you have any questions or concerns or if you would like to receive additional training on this topic, please let us know.

Thank you,

~ Becky & Gabe

Becky Bangs (she/her/hers)
Executive Director for Equal Opportunity and Access, Title IX & ADA Coordinator
Office of Equal Opportunity and Access
Direct line: 541.737.9334

Gabriel Merrell (he/him)
Director, Access and Affirmative Action, Deputy ADA Coordinator
Office of Equal Opportunity and Access
Direct line: 541.737.3671