Definitions
- Advisor means a person chosen by a party or appointed by the institution to accompany the party to meetings related to the resolution process, to advise the party on that process, and to conduct cross-examination for the party at the hearing, if any.
- Complainant means an individual who is alleged to be the victim of conduct that could constitute harassment or discrimination based on a protected class; or retaliation for engaging in a protected activity.
- Complaint (formal) means a document submitted or signed by a Complainant or signed by the Title IX Coordinator alleging harassment or discrimination based on a protected class or retaliation for engaging in a protected activity against a Respondent and requesting that OCCC investigate the allegation.
- Confidential Resource means an employee who is not a Mandated Reporter of notice of harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation (irrespective of Clery Act Campus Security Authority status).
- Day means a business day when OCCC is in normal operation.
- Directly Related Evidence is evidence connected to the complaint, but is neither inculpatory (tending to prove a violation) nor exculpatory (tending to disprove a violation) and will not be relied upon by the investigation report.
- Education program or activity means locations, events, or circumstances where OCCC exercises substantial control over both the Respondent and the context in which the sexual harassment or discrimination occurs and also includes any building owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by OCCC.
- Final Determination: A conclusion by the preponderance of the evidence that the alleged conduct did or did not violate policy.
- Finding: A conclusion by the preponderance of the evidence that the conduct did or did not occur as alleged (as in a “finding of fact”).
- Formal Grievance Process means “Process A,” a method of formal resolution designated by OCCC to address conduct that falls within the policies included below, and which complies with the requirements of the Title IX regulations (34 CFR §106.45).
- Grievance Process Pool includes any investigators, hearing officers, appeal officers, and Advisors who may perform any or all of these roles (though not at the same time or with respect to the same case).
- Hearing Decision-maker refers to those who have decision-making and sanctioning authority within OCCC's Formal Grievance process.
- Investigator means the person or persons charged by OCCC with gathering facts about an alleged violation of this Policy, assessing relevance and credibility, synthesizing the evidence, and compiling this information into an investigation report and file of directly related evidence.
- Mandated Reporter means an employee of OCCC who is obligated by policy to share knowledge, notice, and/or reports of harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation with the Title IX Coordinator or designee.
- Notice means that an employee, student, or third-party informs the Title IX Coordinator or other Official with Authority of the alleged occurrence of harassing, discriminatory, and/or retaliatory conduct.
- Official with Authority (OWA) means an employee of OCCC explicitly vested with the responsibility to implement corrective measures for harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation on behalf of OCCC. Contact information for Officials with Authority is included in Appendix E.
- Parties include the Complainant(s) and Respondent(s), collectively.
- Process A means the Formal Grievance Process detailed in Appendix A.
- Process B means the administrative resolution procedures detailed in Appendix B that apply only when Process A does not, as determined by the Title IX Coordinator.
- Recipient means a postsecondary education program that is a recipient of federal funding.
- Relevant Evidence is evidence that tends to prove or disprove an issue in the complaint.
- Remedies are post-finding actions directed to the Complainant and/or the community as mechanisms to address safety, prevent recurrence, and restore access to OCCC's educational program.
- Respondent means an individual who has been reported to be the perpetrator of conduct that could constitute harassment or discrimination based on a protected class; or retaliation for engaging in a protected activity.
- Resolution means the result of an informal or Formal Grievance Process.
- Sanction means a consequence imposed by OCCC on a Respondent who is found to have violated this policy.
- Sexual Harassment is the umbrella category including the offenses of sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence and domestic violence.
- Title IX Coordinator is at least one official designated by OCCC to ensure compliance with Title IX and OCCC's Title IX program. References to the Coordinator throughout this policy may also encompass a designee of the Coordinator for specific tasks.
- Title IX Team refers to the Title IX Coordinator, any deputy coordinators, and any member of the Grievance Process Pool.
