Affirmative Action and Diversity Resources, Human Resource Services

Filing a Complaint:

Any employee or student who experiences and/or witnesses possible acts of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation has the right and responsibility to report this activity to the applicable university administrator or to AADR immediately. All complaints and/or allegations of discrimination will be examined in a reasonable, objective, confidential, and expedient manner, and in accordance with applicable federal and state employment laws. Suitable corrective action will be implemented whenever wrongful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in any form has occurred. Any employee or student who engages in conduct prohibited by this policy will be required to participate in appropriate corrective measures. To file a complaint, contact us at 815.753.1118. A downloadable Complaint Application can be found by clicking here.

Below are alternatives to filing a complaint:

Mediation: This process is voluntary and confidential and has been designed to address and resolve possible policy violations or other workplace issues and to effectively fulfill university compliance interests while avoiding potentially intrusive formal approaches. This process involves a meeting between the parties and a neutral observer. The neutral observer will have the authority to identify the resolutions for the Resolution Agreement (a binding agreement that results from a successful resolution process) but will not be able to render a decision with respect to the merits of the issues/concerns contained in the complaint. To request mediation, contact AADR at 815.753.1118.

Confidential Counseling: As an alternative to the complaint process, any employee and/or student may seek confidential
counseling through designated units authorized to provide this service. The information discussed during these sessions will be kept in the strictest of confidentiality and will not be shared with AADR. This process is not considered a formal complaint and will not result in an investigation.

Counseling Resources are the following:

External Resources: Any employee and/or student may file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights
or with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Illinois Department of Human Rights
James R. Thompson Center
100 West Randolph Street, Suite 10-100
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 814-6200 (312) 263-1579 (TDD)

Chicago District Office EEOC
500 West Madison Street Suite 2800
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 353-2713 (312) 353-2421