Frequently Asked Questions

If you have been subjected to or witnessed physical violence of any type, the first step is always the same: get to a safe place as soon as possible, and call Berklee Public Safety or 911, or a trusted friend or advocate.

The following resources are available 24 hours per day:

• Berklee Public Safety: 617-747-8888
  Berklee Public Safety will assist you if you feel you are in immediate danger. If there is an after-hours mental health emergency, Berklee Public Safety can connect you with Berklee's on-call counselor or emergency support that is local to you.
• Boston Police Department(Opens in a new window): 617-343-4400
• The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) Hotline(Opens in a new window): 800-841-8371
  Call BARCC’s 24/7 confidential hotline, or use their online chatline for confidential support, crisis counseling, and information. You can also use this form(Opens in a new window) to request an appointment or counseling with BARCC.
• Casa Myrna(Opens in a new window): 877-785-2020
  Call the confidential, multilingual Massachusetts SafeLink domestic violence hotline(Opens in a new window) 24/7 for information, support, and resources.

The Equity and Title IX office can be found in the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CDEI) on the 1st floor of 921 Boylston Street.

When you enter the building, you'll pass the security desk (left), One Stop Services (left), and David Friend Recital Hall (right). Go past the elevators, as if you're heading to the restrooms. You'll see the frosted windows of the center to your left. Our door has OneCard access—scan your OneCard to enter the suite. If you are unable to enter, please call 617-747-3156 to be let in.

We are a small but dedicated team! Learn more here.

Filing a report with Equity guarantees you a private and discreet process. While the Equity reporting process is not a confidential process, details about your case will not be shared with anyone not directly involved with your case. There are confidential resources available to you on campus. However, a report to a confidential resource is not a report to Berklee and will not result in remedial action, an investigation, or disciplinary action. Confidential resources are there to support emotional, physical, and spiritual needs only; any person who desires for Berklee to take investigatory/disciplinary action must make a report to one of the Berklee reporting resources, listed below this section.

For students, the following staff members within the student health and wellness team are confidential resources. These individuals will maintain the confidentiality of a report unless (i) they are given permission to share information by the person who disclosed the information; (ii) there is an imminent threat of harm to self or others; (iii) the conduct involves suspected abuse of a minor under the age of 18; or (iv) as otherwise required or permitted by law or court order.

• Survivor advocate: The survivor advocate provides confidential support for students who have experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and/or dating or domestic violence. The survivor advocate can be reached at 617-747-6657, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Professional counselors: These counselors can be reached in Counseling Services (617-747-2310) between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. In Counseling Services, personal counselors are experienced in working with individuals who have experienced trauma, including trauma from sexual violence.

• The reporting, intake, support, and resolution processes will move at a pace that is comfortable for you. You will never be pressured to take any kind of action that you're not yet ready to take. If you never want to take any action besides submitting a report, that's up to you. More than anything, reports help us collect documentation that can be used in the future, should you choose to pursue action at a later date.
• If you do not want to take action against the responding party, no action will be taken (unless there is a safety concern).

For community members who are evaluating whether a given situation falls under Berklee’s Equity and Title IX Policies, the Equity team first wants you to know that, when in doubt, community members should report incidents so the specific situation can be evaluated. All responsible employees at Berklee are required to report information to the assistant vice president for equity and Title IX/Title IX coordinator.

In determining whether or not a particular incident is equity related, a good first step is to ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the incident involve discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct, including sexual assault/harassment, relationship abuse, or stalking?
• Did the behavior occur or appear to occur because of a characteristic protected under Berklee’s Equity Policy?
• Did the incident involve a Berklee student, faculty, staff member, either as the affected party or as the responding party or occurred at a Berklee program, or event?

If the answer to all three of these questions is yes, then the incident likely should be addressed through the Equity Policy. Community members should report this incident to the assistant vice president for equity and Title IX/Title IX coordinator:

Sarah Onori
Assistant Vice President for Equity and Title IX/Title IX Coordinator
equity@berklee.edu
617-747-6671

It is against the law and/or Berklee policy to discriminate against someone based on the following:

• Age
• Ancestry
• Disability
• Ethnic/national origin
• Gender
• Gender identity/expression
• Genetic information
• Marital status
• Military/veteran status
• Pregnancy
• Race
• Religion
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Transgender identity
• Any other characteristic protected by law, whether that characteristic is actual or perceived

All Berklee employees, including student employees, are responsible employees. Learn more about what this responsibility entails.

A key question in evaluating reports of harassment is whether the behavior that’s described goes beyond being offensive to also being harassment. The difference is that offensive behavior, by itself, is not a violation of Berklee’s policy. That does not make offensive behavior okay, but it does involve a different response. We will address the report seriously and provide resources and follow-up. The institution has many ways to address behavior that is separate from the equity process. Some matters can be addressed through the Office of Community Standards and Conflict Resolution or through Human Resources.

To determine whether reported incidents are only offensive or are also harassment, we consider the totality of the situation, with these key questions in mind:

• How serious was the behavior?
• How persistent was the behavior?
• How pervasive was the behavior?
• What effect did the behavior have on people’s ability to pursue their educational, performance, and work opportunities?
• Was any person or group of people directly targeted or affected by the behavior? 
  • If so, how did they perceive the behavior?
• How would a “reasonable" person in a similar situation to those who experienced the behavior perceive that behavior?

Finally, sometimes an incident is harassment, but it doesn’t occur on the basis of a protected characteristic, which means that it doesn’t violate the equity policy. When we receive reports like that, they can still be addressed, but it's done through means other than the equity policy. We typically refer those to either the Human Resources Department or Community Standards and Conflict Resolution depending upon the affiliation of the accused person.

To make an equity report, you can fill out this form, visit our Equity and Title IX page to learn more, or contact:

Sarah Onori, Assistant Vice President of Equity and Title IX/ Title IX Coordinator
617-747-6671
equity@berklee.edu

Berklee recognizes that a party or witness who was using alcohol or other drugs at the time of a reported incident may be hesitant to come forward due to the potential of disciplinary consequences. Students who report violations of this policy, either as a reporting party or a third-party witness, will not be subject to disciplinary and/or corrective action by Berklee for their own consumption of alcohol or drugs at or near the time of the incident. The same applies to students who disclose such use in the course of an investigation, including a responding party.

Berklee may, however, enforce educational remedies regarding alcohol or other drugs. This policy provides amnesty from discipline from Berklee but does not apply to actions brought by any external law enforcement. Amnesty will not apply if someone is found to have possessed, used, provided, or administered alcohol or other drugs under the following circumstances: (1) for the purpose of facilitating sexual assault; (2) for financial gain (or similar); or (3) to harm others.

Absolutely. If you feel like it would be helpful to have a friend accompany you to your intake meeting, please feel free to bring them along.

• An "intake meeting" is a first meeting with our office when you can report an incident or situation or simply discuss the support you need. During an intake meeting, the intake officer provides more information about resources and support options, as well as potential responses and follow-up to the case. The reporting party can use this as a chance to provide more information about the incident, but they don’t have to.
• Following that intake meeting, appropriate support measures are provided to all parties. Those support measures can include counseling; no-contact orders; adjustments to work, living, or academic arrangements; and so on. The goal of these measures is to help people involved in an equity case focus on their day-to-day routine and goals.
• During and after the intake meeting, people can request particular steps from Berklee, including informal resolution, formal resolution (investigation), support measures only, and/or assistance reporting to law enforcement.

When an equity report is submitted, every report is evaluated individually. What’s described here is Berklee’s typical method for assessing and responding to reports.

All reports go to the assistant vice president for equity and Title IX/Title IX coordinator for that person’s initial review to determine, among other matters, whether or not the report is actually equity related. At Berklee, the Assistant Vice President of Equity and Title IX/ Title IX Coordinator Sarah Onori, who can be reached at equity@berklee.edu and 617-747-6671. Even if the report is not equity related, it still receives an appropriate response and follow-up, which is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

If the initial review indicates the case is probably equity-related, then the deputy for intake, support, and advising assigns an intake officer. That intake officer reaches out to the reporting party via email and invites that person to an intake meeting, in which the reporting party can learn more about support resources and options. The accused person (respondent) may also receive an intake invitation, depending upon the nature of the initial report and whether the respondent has already been contacted.

If that email receives no reply, then the intake officer follows up with one additional email. That second email says that the invitation to an intake meeting exists indefinitely. That email also provides some basic information about resources and options, as well as the equity policy. All of this is documented in case the reporting party decides to pursue the case in the future.

If the person does respond to the intake invitation, the intake meeting occurs. During this meeting, the intake officer provides more information about resources and support options, as well as potential responses and follow-up to the case. The reporting party can use this as a chance to provide more information about the incident, but they don’t have to.

Following that intake meeting, appropriate support measures are provided to all parties. Those support measures can include counseling; no-contact orders; adjustments to work, living, or academic arrangements; and so on. The goal of these measures is to help people involved in an equity case focus on their day-to-day routine and goals.

During and after the intake meeting, people can request particular steps from Berklee, including informal resolution, formal resolution (investigation), support measures only, and/or assistance reporting to law enforcement.

Intake information, support measures, and requests for particular steps from Berklee are all documented and submitted to the Assistant Vice President for Equity and Title IX/Title IX coordinator. That person determines appropriate next steps based on the nature of the report, the reporting party’s wishes, the risk to the community, and other factors.

Once those next steps are determined, the equity team communicates the steps back to the involved parties, who can then choose their level of participation in those next steps.

Finally, the Equity team monitors trends in reports (without identifying details) to evaluate the need for systemic prevention and education.

To report an equity violation and request support, contact:

Sarah Onori
Assistant Vice President of Equity and Title IX/ Title IX Coordinator
617-747-6671
equity@berklee.edu

For Berklee, reports of discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct are among the most serious issues we address. These are very challenging for those accused (respondents) and those who make reports (complainants), and Berklee will provide support and resources to anyone who is involved in an equity process.

When someone reports an equity violation, Berklee’s equity team reaches out to the person who has been harmed and offers an initial intake meeting. This meeting is a chance to learn more about resources and options. These are some of the support measures that are typically discussed during these meetings. They are implemented if appropriate and if requested by someone in an equity process.

• Confidential Support: The Health and Wellness team, housing both Counseling Services and Survivor Advocacy Services, is available to all students, and the Employee Assistance Program is available to all employees. During intake meetings, we assist people in considering what counseling or survivor advocacy options, if any, will be helpful for them.
• No-contact orders: Typically a directive from Berklee that applies equally to both complainants and respondents, no-contact orders require that they mutually avoid communication with each other, including by electronic and third-party means. This does not necessarily require that they maintain any physical distance from each other. On a case-by-case basis, we review whether people can work, take classes, or otherwise interact in the same physical space. If someone violates this order, they will be subject to additional policy violation processes.
• Alterations to work or class schedules/locations: Berklee’s equity team can assist with changes to work or class schedules and locations that help people avoid unwanted or prohibited contact while still pursuing academic and work goals.
• Changes to housing assignments: For students, we consider whether a change of housing assignment may be appropriate and helpful.
• Academic/workplace support: Berklee’s equity team can reach out to faculty, letting them know that a student is managing a difficult personal matter and may request some flexibility managing academic expectations. Following that, students and faculty usually directly interact to manage those issues while still preserving the integrity and fairness of academic expectations. For employees, a similar option exists to reach out to supervisors.
• Campus no-trespass orders and harassment prevention orders: These orders are issued by law enforcement and civil courts, respectively. Unlike no-contact orders, these are not typically mutually applied, and those who violate them may be arrested. Berklee Public Safety can assist complainants and respondents in navigating those systems and expectations.
• Interim removal: This is not a typical response, but Berklee does have the option to remove a respondent from campus temporarily while the case is being resolved. This is reserved for matters that indicate a serious, likely, and immediate risk to the community. In these instances, we strive to resolve the case as quickly as possible with a permanent outcome.
• Other measures: We consider any measure that people request to help them focus on their day-to-day routine and goals at Berklee.

For more information, visit our Equity and Title IX page(Opens in a new window).

You have options when it comes to reporting an incident. Berklee's Equity and Title IX policies apply to faculty and staff, not just students. You can report any issue to HR, but if you feel like your experience falls under the scope of Equity and Title IX, you can report to us instead. If you are unsure if your experience falls under the scope of Equity and Title IX, please do not hesitate to contact us at equity@berklee.edu. We will help you determine the best reporting option.

You will never be pressured to take any kind of action that you're not yet ready to take. If you never want to take any action besides submitting a report, that's up to you. More than anything, reports help us collect documentation that can be used in the future, should you choose to pursue action at a later date.

Equity offers a number of supportive measures, including, but not limited to:

• investigation and adjudication;
• informal conflict resolution that may result in a mutually agreeable outcome;
• interim support measures (such as workspace or schedule adjustments);
• confidential resources, such as the Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• and recommendations for non-Berklee, Boston-area support resources.

Berklee responds to every reported equity violation we receive. However, that response does not always include a full, formal investigation. Every report is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and Berklee considers many different ways of addressing the report.

Even if Berklee does not resolve a case by a full, formal investigation, we always seek to stop the reported behavior, minimize the negative impact that behavior has on others, and prevent that behavior from happening again. In working towards those goals, Berklee considers many options for responding, some of which can occur in addition to a full, formal investigation.

Below are some of the possible response methods, and multiple methods may be implemented in a given case:

• Support measures only
• Informal resolution (could include mediation, educational interventions, coaching, and other means of addressing the concerns)
• Formal investigation through Berklee
• Formal investigation through law enforcement (reporting parties can choose to work with Berklee, law enforcement, both, or neither)

The Equity and Title IX office offers several pre-made trainings. If your department or office would like a specific training, we will work with you to create a training to meet your needs. Please email equity@berklee.edu to request a training.

Yes, Berklee requires all new undergraduate and transfer students to complete two online programs through Vector. Berklee also requires faculty and staff to complete a similar online course called "Preventing Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace" each year they are employed.

• If you have completed the courses before the due date, and you're still getting a restriction notification, please contact us at 617-747-3156 or equity@berklee.edu.
• If you complete the courses after the due date and have not contacted us informing us that you have completed the course, please contact us 617-747-3156 or equity@berklee.edu. Our systems are not integrated with the online course platform and have no way of knowing if you complete the course after the due date if you do not let us know.

We will respond to restriction removal requests as soon as possible, but please give us at least one working day to respond to your request! Completing the courses on time is the best way to avoid a restriction!