What We Do

Besides administering or supporting programs and procedures relating to Affirmative Action, Title IX and Accommodations, we also help provide education and conduct training workshops, and advise individuals about bias-related concerns. We also receive, review, and investigate formal complaints of discrimination and harassment. 

OCIC's staff advises managers, faculty, staff, and students regarding prohibited discrimination and harassment, reasonable accommodation, affirmative action, and increasing diversity and outreach. We guide you through the complaint process and give you tools to improve the workplace and educational environment, and to prevent prohibited discrimination and harassment.

Diverse and responsible recruitment is the duty of all organizational structures within OHSU. OCIC is available to assist the OHSU community with this effort. The OHSU Recruitment Manual (login required) is also available and contains best practices.

OCIC refers questions involving legal advice to the Legal Department

Questions? Please contact us!

For discrimination, harassment or other concerns relating to OCIC: 

For sex or gender discrimination concerns (Title IX): 

Civil rights

OCIC investigates civil rights allegations

OCIC administers an equal opportunity complaint procedure, including investigating allegations of prohibited discrimination and harassment brought by OHSU staff, faculty, students, patients, and employment applicants.

OHSU policy strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment based on any protected class. If you believe either you or someone else has experienced prohibited discrimination and/or harassment, please contact OCIC. To report a concern anonymously: OHSU Integrity Hotline 877-733-8313 (toll free; 24 hours/day; 7 days/week).

Protected classes

  • Age
  • Pregnancy
  • Disability
  • Race/color
  • Family Medical Leave Act (use of)
  • Religion
  • Oregon Family Medical Leave Act (use of)
  • Retaliation
  • Gender
  • Sexual harassment
  • Marital status
  • Sexual orientation / gender expression
  • Military/reserve status
  • Veteran's status
  • National origin
  • Whistle blower
  • Worker Compensation System (use of)

What constitutes prohibited discrimination and harassment?

In general, prohibited discrimination and harassment is any verbal, visual, physical, or any other kind of conduct that is connected with an individual and based upon one or more protected classes (race, gender, religion, etc.) which impacts the terms or conditions of employment, receipt of services or academic activities, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. Prohibited discrimination and harassment violate OHSU policy and is not tolerated.

Prohibited discrimination and harassment can occur between an employee and a manager; between co-workers; between faculty members; between a staff member and outside contractor or vendor; between a faculty member and staff or student; between a staff member and patient; between men and women; or between members of the same gender.

A subset of prohibited discrimination and harassment is sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favor, and any other behavior of a sexual nature. There are two general types of sexual harassment, quid pro quo and hostile environment.

Quid pro quo ("this for that") harassment occurs when employment or academic decisions or expectations (hiring, promotions, salary increases, shift or work assignments, performance standards, grades, access to recommendations, assistance with school work, etc.) are based on an employee or student's submission to or rejection of sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other behavior of a sexual nature. Examples may include: demanding sexual favors in exchange for a promotion or grade or disciplining an employee who refuses sexual advances.

A work or learning environment is hostile when unwelcome verbal, non-verbal, or physical behavior of a prohibited nature is severe or pervasive enough to unreasonably interfere with an employee's work or a student's learning, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. An employer, teacher, co-worker, vendor, or fellow student can create a hostile environment. A single incident or a few incidents may not necessarily rise to the level of prohibited harassment; however, a single extreme incident could constitute prohibited discrimination or harassment. Each matter needs to be evaluated individually. Examples may include: jokes or insults, unwelcome flirting, pornography, unwelcome hugging and/or kissing, or repeated invitations for dates.

A third person offended by harassing behavior among willing participants may, if sufficiently severe or pervasive circumstances exist, be a victim of prohibited harassment.

State law, federal law, and OHSU policy prohibit retaliation for reporting discrimination or harassment, and/or filing a complaint of prohibited discrimination or harassment, or participating in the investigation of such a complaint. Retaliation is a serious offense that can result in disciplinary action.

This protection exists even if a complaint is eventually dismissed or is deemed to lack merit. (However, intentionally false accusations will not be tolerated, and a person will be held accountable for making intentionally false claims of prohibited discrimination or harassment.)

Colleagues or students who assist others in raising a complaint of prohibited discrimination or harassment or give testimony or documentary evidence in support of a complaint, are similarly protected.

Our vision, mission and values

Vision

OHSU is a place where all feel welcomed, valued, safe, and respected.

Mission

OCIC strives to be a trusted, expert resource and partner supporting, educating, and leading the OHSU community in the areas of equity, access, and civil rights.

Values

  • Collaborative
  • Compassionate
  • Courageous
  • Helpful
  • Knowledgeable

Diversity

OCIC helps build diversity

Diverse recruitment is the duty of all organizational structures within OHSU. OCIC is available to assist the OHSU community with this effort and has developed these Diversity Strategy Tips.

OCIC partners with several departments to increase the number of under-represented applicants and recently graduated college and university students.

Our partners include:

Learn about OCIC's education and training resources supporting diversity.

Diversity defined

Diversity at OHSU means creating a community of inclusion. We honor, respect, embrace and value the unique contributions and perspectives of all employees, patients, students, volunteers and our local and global communities.

Diversity includes age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, diversity of thought, ideas and more.

Diversity maximizes our true potential for creativity, innovation, quality patient care, educational excellence and outstanding service.

View the Equal Opportunity OHSU Policy 30-05-030

Diversity resources at OHSU

The Diversity Advisory Council. The DAC was created to help fulfill one of the six goals of OHSU's strategic plan, Vision 2020: "to be a great organization, diverse in people and ideas." The DAC advises the President and the Executive Leadership Team on enhancing diversity, multiculturalism and equal opportunity for all aspects of the university's mission. As a campus-wide group, the DAC supports diversity initiatives across the university—everything from helping units understand the business case for diversity to providing practical resources for employees, students, and community members. Learn more about the Diversity Advisory Council.

The Physical Access Committee is charged with identifying barriers to access by people with disabilities at OHSU and to present findings and recommendations to OHSU's administration concerning access needs and priorities for meeting those needs. Learn more about the Physical Access Committee.

The Center for Diversity & Inclusion supports and works in collaboration with the academic units, hospitals, and other campus and community resources in promoting an environment that values and nurtures an inclusive environment of diversity through various resources and programs for students, staff and faculty. Learn more about the Center for Diversity & Inclusion.

Student Interest Groups. OHSU is home to local chapters of distinguished national student organizations and other diverse student interest groups. Here's a quick list of campus groups. Learn more about the Student Interest Groups.

Employee Resource Groups, which align with OHSU diversity initiatives and goals and that ultimately supports all within and across OHSU and the community. Learn more about Employee Resource Groups. 

OHSU Global Southeast Asia supports a large portion of its programming through a public-private partnership between OHSU and a large private hospital system in SE Asia, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS). Through this partnership, OHSU is then able to support programming for our academic and philanthropic interests. Competitive awards are available to support OHSU students’ overseas experiences. Learn more about OHSU Global Southeast Asia.

Women in Academic Medicine was established as a standing committee of the School of Medicine in 1993 to address issues of concern to women faculty including career advancement, career satisfaction, participation by women on decision-making bodies at OHSU, pay equity, discrimination, and parenting and schedule flexibility issues. The perspectives of women medical and graduate students and residents are sought. Recommendations from the committee are designed to benefit all members of the School of Medicine. Learn more about Women in Academic Medicine.

Please see the Center for Diversity and Inclusion pages on