Student Feedback and Equity Concerns FAQ

What is this system designed for?

This system is designed for students at the Gillings School of Global Public Health to communicate all kinds of feedback including when incidents of bias and microaggressions occur. By “bias” or “microaggression,” we mean any behavior or incident that involves discrimination (either unconsciously or consciously) against members of a marginalized group. Students have pointed out the need to assess, track, and respond to these incidents as they are personally harmful and detract from the training you are here to receive. The system is not designed to replace existing reporting structures in the event a University policy has been violated or the law has been broken.

What happens when I submit through the Student Feedback and Equity Concerns system?

When you indicate that your concern relates to bias or microaggression, you will be prompted to complete a short questionnaire describing the incident in more detail. Once submitted, the Office of Student Affairs will follow up with you before taking any additional action.

Can I submit information about an incident anonymously?

You have the right to submit information about incidents without ever providing your name or contact information. However, providing your contact information in the submission allows the Office of Student Affairs to follow up with you about the incident. This can be useful to solicit additional or clarifying information, but also is vital to check in with you about how you would like to proceed. Finally, this lets us follow up with you about how the incident is resolved. You can provide your information in the submission to facilitate this follow-up, and still remain anonymous to the person responsible for the incident. Your name will not be shared with anyone outside of the Office of Student Affairs without your explicit permission (see below).

Who sees the information I provided in the submission?

Initially, the only parties that see the complete submission are the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Inclusive Excellence. Their first step will be to reach out to you. In this meeting, they will recommend which additional parties they feel should be involved. Depending on the nature of the incident, it could include the Office of Inclusive Excellence to facilitate resolution, a department chair to assist with accountability, etc. The person responsible for the incident will also receive the necessary information provided in the submission to facilitate appropriate resolution. At no point does anyone beyond the Office of Student Affairs receive your name unless you want this information to be shared with relevant parties moving forward.

What happens to the individual named as responsible for the incident?

During your initial contact with the Office of Student Affairs, you will have the opportunity to express any preferences for follow-up action with the responsible individual. For example, you may want an instructor to revisit how they facilitate discussion about a topic or want to make them aware not to repeat offensive language. Though your preference for action is a primary factor, it is not the only one – however, no response will be escalated at a level beyond what the student expresses. Notable exceptions, however, are made when the described incident violates University anti-discrimination policy or the law and requires mandatory reporting and investigation.

What should I do if I want to talk about a microaggression or bias incident verbally, instead of submitting the information online?

You can reach out to Charletta Sims-Evans at the Office of Student Affairs to discuss verbally. You can reach her at simsevan@email.unc.edu or (919) 966-2499. You can also reach out to the Office of Inclusive Excellence, your academic coordinator, or your program director.

What if I change my mind about being anonymous or wanting action?

You can reach out to Charletta Sims-Evans at the Office of Student Affairs to discuss this further. You can reach her at simsevan@email.unc.edu or (919) 966-2499.

I had a microaggression or bias incident occur elsewhere on campus. Can I still use this system?

These incidents can be the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC) or the University Dean of Students Office. At current we are only equipped to track and resolve incidents that involve those within the Gillings community.