File a Complaint

Staff, faculty, students, medical residents, post docs, applicants for employment or patients may raise complaints of discrimination, harassment, and violations of policy with the Office of Access and Compliance (OAC). Individuals who feel they are being treated unfairly because of a protected status or in retaliation for engaging in a protected activity, or individuals who believe they are subjected to behavior that rises to the level of violating UT policy are encouraged to contact OAC to arrange a confidential appointment with an appropriate staff member to discuss their concerns.   

Complaints (other than those involving sexual assault) received directly by OAC will be reported by the Associate Vice Chancellor (or the Associate Vice Chancellor's designee) to the appropriate administrator(s) who will attempt to resolve the matter working in conjunction with OAC. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible.

At the time of the initial consultation, the OAC staff member will determine if the complaint falls within the scope of responsibility of the Office of Access and Compliance.  The complainant will be referred to the appropriate office if it does not.

Complaints must be put in writing and filed within 300 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action. In certain circumstances, at the discretion of OAC, complaints filed outside of this time limit or that are not put in writing may be investigated.

Informal and Formal complaints are official University complaints of discrimination and/or harassment; however, there are some key distinctions between the two types of complaint processes.

Informal Complaint

The goal of the Informal complaint process is to attempt to reach a resolution to the complaint that is acceptable to both the complainant(s) and the respondent(s). The UT Health Science Center does not make a determination as to whether a respondent(s) has violated University policy. Instead, the Office of Access and Compliance attempts to facilitate a mutually acceptable resolution through the use of conflict resolution techniques. In the informal process, the Office of Access and Compliance will only speak to those people whose involvement is necessary to facilitate a resolution to a complaint. Frequently, this includes only the complainant(s) and respondent(s).

Formal Complaint

The goal of the Formal complaint process is to reach an official determination as to whether a respondent(s) has violated the University policies addressing harassment and discrimination and/or UT Health Science Center’s Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, and Stalking Policy. As a part of the Formal complaint process, the Office of Access and Compliance will conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations of the complaint and prepare a report of the investigation.

The complaining party selects whether to pursue an Informal or Formal complaint. A complainant may choose first to file an Informal complaint. If, however, the parties are unable to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of the Informal complaint, a complainant may then file a Formal complaint. Additionally, a complainant may during the Informal complaint process choose to file a Formal complaint instead.

Possible resolutions with an Informal complaint might include, but are not limited to: 1) an agreement by the respondent to cease the behavior; 2) assisting the respondent to better understand the effects of his or her conduct and ways in which this behavior might be changed; 3) participation in educational programs about equal opportunity, discrimination or harassment; 4) verbal or written reprimands; 5) taking away of privileges; or 6) termination of employment. The resolution sought depends upon the circumstances of the complaint as well as the wishes of the parties involved.

As a reiterative point, the Informal complaint process and the Formal complaint process are not mutually exclusive. An individual may attempt to first resolve his or her concerns through an Informal complaint. If, however, the parties are unable to reach a mutually acceptable resolution of an Informal complaint, a complainant may then file a Formal complaint. Additionally, a complainant may, during the Informal complaint process, choose to file a Formal complaint instead.

To learn more about UT Health Science Center's discrimination complaint procedure, complaint form, and incident reporting form click on the following:

• University of Tennessee Health Science Center Discrimination Complaint Procedure
• Non-Title IX Formal Complaint Form - Discrimination and Harassment
• Title IX Complaint Form
• Title VII vs Title IX Information Handout

These options referenced above are available to all members of the university community; however some of the specific policies and procedures may vary based on your relationship to the university.  For a detailed description of these options, please follow the relevant links below:

• Students: CenterScope
• Staff (Non-Exempt and Exempt): Human Resource Policies
• Faculty: Faculty Handbook

Non-retaliation: An individual may file a complaint alleging retaliation in accordance with UT Policy based on their relationship to the university.