Guidance for Complainants
The information below is provided for all Complainants, or the individuals who have alleged one or more policy violations under the University of Missouri Collected Rules and Regulations Chapter 600. For any questions regarding these steps, please contact us.
STEP 1: Read the full Notice of Allegations document if you have not already done so. Below you will also find the relevant process flowchart, information on your rights during the complaint resolution process, FAQs, and suggestions to consider in providing evidence and determining witnesses.
FAQs for Complainants & Respondents
Providing Evidence and Determining Witnesses
Do not attempt to contact the Respondent (the individual you filed a complaint against) directly or through others – especially if there is a No Contact Directive in place. You should also inform your close contacts (family members, friends) that they should not attempt to contact the Respondent directly or through others, as this could also be a violation of a No Contact Directive, resulting in sanctions against you.
STEP 2: You may request Supportive Measures, even if you choose not to participate in the complaint resolution process.
Supportive measures are available to you before, during, and following the complaint resolution process. Supportive measures are individualized services offered without fee or charge and must be reasonable, non-disciplinary, and non-punitive. These measures are designed to restore or preserve equal access to UMKC’s educational programs and activities and employment opportunities. The University will maintain as confidential any supportive measures provided to you, to the extent that maintaining such confidentiality would not impair UMKC’s ability to provide the supportive measures.
To find out more about the availability of supportive measures, contact your assigned Investigator. For a list of possible options, see Supportive Measures.
STEP 3: We encourage you to seek support and to connect with others.
For anyone who is navigating a difficult situation, the ability to connect with others for support, advocacy, and assistance is vital. For more information on confidential support resources, visit Support. To access a list of additional sources of support, advocacy, and assistance, visit Connections.
STEP 4: You must decide whether you wish to participate in the complaint resolution process.
This is a personal decision, and our team cannot provide guidance on whether to participate in any aspect of the process. However, we do want you to make an informed decision and are providing the following information for your consideration.
- The complaint may proceed regardless of whether you choose to participate.
- This is true for both employees and students, even if a student chooses to withdraw from classes.
- Any finding will be rendered based on the information made available to investigators during the course of the investigation.
- Any testimony or evidence that would have been available had you participated would not be considered new evidence for purposes of an appeal.
For more on making a choice regarding participation, visit FAQs for Complainants & Respondents.
STEP 5: Next is the selection of a Support Person/Advisor.
Support Persons
You may select one Support Person of your choice to accompany you to any meetings as part of the complaint resolution process; this applies to all interviews and any subsequent meetings. For students, upon request, UMKC will provide, without fee or charge, a trained Support Person of the University’s choice to provide assistance to you related to participating in the complaint resolution process. For more information, visit Support Persons.
Advisors (Title IX)
If your complaint is being resolved under Title IX, you have the right to choose an Advisor to be present at the hearing. If you do not have an Advisor available to you, UMKC will provide, without fee or charge, an Advisor of the University’s choice to conduct questioning on your behalf. You may not require that the assigned Advisor have specific qualifications, such as being an attorney. You must have an Advisor for any hearing under Title IX. For more information, visit Advisors.
STEP 6: You should decide whether you would like to request an informal resolution to your complaint.
Both parties have the option of requesting an informal resolution to the complaint. If either party makes this request, the other party will be notified and has the option to agree to participate in the informal resolution process. For more information on your options, visit Informal Resolution.
**Please note, Informal Resolution is never available to resolve a complaint that an employee sexually harassed a student.
STEP 7: If you do not wish to attempt an informal resolution and are planning to participate in the investigation, you may wish to contact your witnesses to let them know you’ll be sharing their name and contact information with our team.
If you do choose to reach out to your witnesses, we encourage you to provide them with the links below for their review.
STEP 8: Address any concerns about possible disciplinary action for minor student conduct violations that may have occurred around the same time so our team can consider whether amnesty is appropriate.
The health and safety of every student at the University is a top priority of UMKC. With that in mind, and with the intent to encourage students to participate in the complaint resolution process, students, including Complainants, Respondents, and witnesses, may be granted amnesty from disciplinary action under 200.010 Standard of Conduct for minor student conduct violations at the discretion of the Title IX Coordinator/Equity Officer. For more information, contact UMKC’s Title IX Coordinator/Equity Officer.
STEP 9: You will be interviewed by an investigator from our team at least once and should come prepared.
Prior to your interview, we encourage you to review the following information:
FAQs for Complainants & Respondents
Providing Evidence and Determining Witnesses
STEP 10: If the complaint goes to the resolution phase, the investigator will provide you the final investigative report and evidence for your review.
This will be the report used by the decision-maker to determine whether the Respondent has violated University policy. Parties should note and address with the decision-maker(s) any aspects of the investigative report they believe are important to a finding on whether Respondent violated policy.
STEP 11: Resolution Phase
If the complaint is being addressed under Title IX, the decision-maker will be a panel consisting of a hearing officer and two faculty/staff hearing panelists.
If the complaint is being addressed as an Equity matter, the parties have the option as to the decision-maker.
- For Student or Faculty Respondents: The default method of resolution is a Hearing, with a panel of one hearing officer and two faculty/staff hearing panelists. If both parties would rather pursue an Administrative Resolution the decision-maker will be the Equity Officer.
- For Staff or Institutional Respondents: The complaint will be resolved by Administrative Resolution, unless both parties agree on a form of conflict resolution.
For information on possible sanctions should the decision-maker determine that the Respondent violated University policy, visit Possible Sanctions – Title IX & Equity.
STEP 12: After the decision-maker has issued their determination, you will receive notice of the finding and any sanctions, if applicable. You have the option of accepting the determination or appealing to the appropriate Equity Resolution Appellate Officer as indicated in the notice. The Respondent may also appeal to the ERAO.
For more information on the how a decision-maker determines their findings and sanctions, visit Determining Findings & Sanctions. For information on the appeals process, visit Appealing a Decision.
STEP 13: If the decision-maker found the Respondent in violation of University policy and both parties either accept the determination or are unsuccessful in any appeal, the Respondent must meet the parameters of all sanctions within the timeline specified.
Failure to follow through on these sanctions by the date specified for any reason may result in additional sanctions and/or suspension or expulsion of a student or termination of an employee through the appropriate process.
If an appeal submitted by either party is granted, you will receive notice of next steps from the Equity Resolution Appellate Officer.
Once an appeal is decided, the outcome is final. Further appeals are not permitted.
