Madison Reporter

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has announced that the Office of Compliance will now handle the administrative intake and recordkeeping of bias reports on campus. This change moves the reporting process from the Office of Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) within Student Affairs.

The university aims to broaden its bias, harassment, and discrimination reporting scope by centralizing the response process to include faculty and staff. The Office of Compliance will continue investigating formal complaints related to discrimination and harassment based on a protected class.

This transition took place over the fall semester in response to changes in Title VI, a federal civil rights law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, shared ancestry, and ethnic characteristics. The move is intended to streamline processes for addressing such issues across the campus community.

OSAS remains involved with reports and continues providing student support directly impacting their experience as part of UW-Madison's comprehensive response to bias incidents.

“Our goal continues to be that all reports are handled efficiently and with the highest standard of care,” says Office of Compliance Director Jaimee Gilford. “The transition has gone well so far, thanks to our strong partnership with OSAS, the Office of Human Resources and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement, and we are committed to making this change as smooth as possible for all stakeholders across campus.”

Reports can be submitted through a form available on the Office of Compliance website. Individuals who witness or learn about discriminatory or harassing incidents are encouraged to report them using this form. While anonymous submissions are allowed, they may limit the university's ability to respond effectively.

Questions regarding bias reporting can be directed via email to oc_casemanager@wisc.edu.