Frequently Asked Questions

OEO is the central office responsible for responding to reports of all types of discrimination, bias and harassment, regardless of the role of the person making the report or who the report is about. OEO integrates the work of OAO, Title IX and parts of EEOA into one cohesive office.  Staff within OEO will be cross-trained to manage all reports of discrimination and harassment to ensure that all parties—whether they are faculty, staff, or students—receive the same level of support.  Please note that the procedures for resolving a complaint will be dependent on the nature of the concern reported (for example, a reported sexual assault will be managed under the Title IX Policy whereas discrimination based on a protected characteristic will be managed under the EO Policy).  These distinctions are required by Policy and local and federal law.

OEO will manage the university’s Equal Opportunity, Nondiscrimination, Anti-Harassment, and Non-Retaliation Policy (“EO Policy”), the Title IX Sexual Harassment and Related Conduct Policy (“Title IX Policy”), and Prohibited Relationships with Students Policy. These policies and associated procedures have not changed and remain in effect, including the appeals procedures outlined within these policies. Over the summer, these policies and procedures will be reviewed and any changes will be communicated to the GW community.

A May 1 opening date allows the staff of the new office to review policies and procedures, align websites, and create printed materials over the summer. Materials will be updated and distributed once finalized. In the interim, see the information on this page on how to submit reports and connect with the OEO office.

No, OEO is a new office within the Office of the President. Title IX is no longer within the Office of the Provost and EEO is no longer within Human Resource Management and Development.

No.  Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities will continue to be managed by Disability Support Services (DSS) and for staff and faculty by Human Resource Management and Development (HRMD). 

Only the Equal Opportunity functions within EEOA have moved to OEO. Accommodations, employee relations, and labor relations will remain with HRMD. 

Concerns about disability accommodation determinations made by DSS or HRMD may be raised under the university’s Disability Policy Grievance Procedure. However, complaints of discrimination or harassment on the basis of disability are covered by the EO Policy and may be reviewed by OEO.

There are several ways community members can connect with OEO and submit reports of discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, and/or retaliation under the Title IX or EO Policies. First, you can submit a report via our online report forms.  The following reporting forms have been routed to OEO staff and can be used by the community during the transition period:

• Title IX Report Forms
• Discrimination, Harassment and Bias Report Form

Over the summer, these reporting forms will migrate and be centrally located.

Community members may also stop by OEO at 2001 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 250, without an appointment during drop-in hours.  Drop-in hours are hosted on Mondays between 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  and Wednesdays between 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

OEO can also be reached at 202-994-7434, oeogwu [dot] edu (oeo[at]gwu[dot]edu),  titleixgwu [dot] edu (titleix[at]gwu[dot]edu) and oaogwu [dot] edu.

Yes, EthicsPoint remains a reporting avenue available to the community. You can submit a report to EthicsPoint using the online report form. Any reports submitted to EthicsPoint that involve allegations of discrimination and harassment will be forwarded to OEO staff for their review and response.

Concerns about staff in the Office of the President can be submitted to OEO.  These concerns will be managed by external contractors, typically law firms, to ensure a fair, impartial response free from any conflicts of interest. 

Community members raising a concern regarding a staff member within OEO should submit a report to Ethics Point.

Yes.  The Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Retaliation Complaint Procedures requires a consultation with the Office of the Provost at the intake phase for reports involving potential issues involving academic freedom.  In addition, at the appeals phase if there is plausible showing that the EO Policy was misapplied due to improper protection of academic freedom, an appeals committee will be convened that may be composed of faculty members, administrators, and/or students.  The committee will share its findings with the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, who will determine whether to adopt the OEO finding and initiate any further actions.

The intended benefits of OEO are:

• Commitment to support. The focus on centralized supportive measures demonstrates a commitment to supporting community members through complex, sensitive issues.
• Consistent application of policies and processes. A single office treats all community members regardless of role equitably.
• Streamlined case management. Standardized protocols for managing cases allows for better and more streamlined data tracking and trend analysis.
• Enhanced internal resource allocation. A single office maximizes the use of personnel and training resources by cross-training staff and reducing costs to external firms.
• Improved handling of intersectional complaints. A single office eliminates the need to resolve a single complaint between different units and reduces confusion about how complaints are managed.
• Robust training, education and communication. A single office can build understanding, trust and transparency within the community.

OEO is located at 2001 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 250.  The front entrance is adjacent to Four Five Coffee on I St. To gain access to the suite, GW community members can walk through the front glass doors,  stop at the front desk, show your GWorld ID, and request to visit Suite 250. A front desk staff member will tap you into the elevator so that you can go up to the second floor.  When you exit the elevator, turn to your left; our door is at the end of the hall.  Feel free to ring our doorbell and a staff member will welcome you into the office. Please note that there is no need to sign in to the building and logs are not kept at the front desk.

Community members may stop by OEO without an appointment during drop-in hours.  Drop-in hours are hosted on Mondays between 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and Wednesdays between 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

OEO can also be reached at 202-994-7434, oeogwu [dot] edu (oeo[at]gwu[dot]edu), titleixgwu [dot] edu (titleix[at]gwu[dot]edu) and oaogwu [dot] edu (oao[at]gwu[dot]edu).