Importance of Reporting

Dear DeansDirectors and Department Heads:

The University of Michigan strives to uphold the highest ethical standards and expectations of honesty and integrity across our community of faculty, staff and students. An important component of these values is a commitment to reporting suspected criminal activity and the knowledge that retaliation for making a report is never acceptable.

I write today to remind our community of the importance of reporting.  Many of you also are considered Campus Security Authorities under the Clery Act or Individuals with Reporting Obligations under Title IX and therefore have reporting obligations for certain crimes and conduct, including Sexual and Gender-based Misconduct. Even if you do not have an obligation to report, I strongly encourage all members of our community to report suspected criminal activity and other misconduct.

As a deandirector or department head, it is important that you deal promptly and appropriately with reports of suspected wrongdoing. Everyone in your unit should know that you will handle issues properly, resolving them or reporting them to higher authorities as appropriate, and whether they are Campus Security Authorities or Individuals with Reporting Obligations. I urge you to maintain open communication and assure them that reporting suspected wrongdoing will never result in reprisal – and that everyone is encouraged to report regardless of obligation.

Individuals should act immediately if they suspect abuse or other crimes, or where they find themselves either a victim or a witness to questionable activity.

Our current system for reporting is described below:

Emergency Assistance

All campuses and Michigan Medicine:

  • If immediate emergency assistance is needed or a crime is in progress, dial 9-1-1 for emergency response.
  • At the Ann Arbor medical campus, dial 9-9-9 for cardiac arrests, medical emergencies or patient-related incidents.

Non-Emergency Assistance

Ann Arbor campus, including the medical campus:

  • For non-emergency situations, call the U-M Division of Public Safety and Security at (734) 763-1131. Public safety professionals can help assess the situation and determine what other notification or action is necessary.

Dearborn campus:

  • Call the UM-Dearborn Police Department at (313) 593-9953.

Flint campus:

  • Call the UM-Flint Department of Public Safety at (810) 762-3333.

All campuses and Michigan Medicine:

Please share the information in this message with faculty, students and staff under your direction. I also ask that you incorporate this information into orientation materials for new faculty, students and staff, if it is not already included.

Thank you for your continuous support and leadership commitment to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all.