As part of its commitment to transparency, the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) has released its 2020 annual report, which is available by clicking here.
"OIE welcomes this opportunity to share information about the work performed in our office," wrote Shannon Shumpert, vice provost for institutional equity, in an introduction to the report. She says: "Our annual report illustrates our efforts and ongoing commitment to the university community to foster an environment that is inclusive, respectful, and free from discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct." The office is working next on the 2021 report, to be released this spring.
In 2020, OIE received 593 reports—a significant drop from 2019 when it received 924 reports. Of the 593 reports, 52% involved allegations of discrimination or harassment based on a protected class, such as race or religion, while 37% alleged some form of sexual misconduct.
"We attribute the decrease in reports to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the transition, beginning in mid-March 2020, of the majority of our community (both students and employees) to working and learning remotely," Shumpert said.
Detailed information on the number of reports and cases, the types of complainants and respondents, and the timing and resolution of cases is in the 2020 report and annual reports dating back to 2017 are available on the OIE website.
