FAQ for Staff and Faculty

CAN provides confidential advocacy not only to students but also to faculty and staff. If you contact us, we will work with you to determine your goals and needs. Depending what you are looking for, we might:

• Listen to your story;
• Help you develop a safety plan;
• Refer you to campus and community resources (like counseling, legal assistance, housing, emergency funding, or food support);
• Inform you of your rights at home and at work;
• Communicate with your supervisor, union representative, and/or Human Resources department to ensure that you are safe and that you get the accommodations you need to meet your professional goals; and/or
• Accompany you to court, the police station, or an on-campus hearing or interview.

Because CAN advocates are confidential advocates, we are not required to report what survivors tell us. We will only share your information with your permission.

However, please note that there are certain circumstances in which we are legally required to report:

1. if you describe violence against a minor (someone under the age of 18),
2. if you intend to hurt yourself (at any age), or
3. if you or someone you know intends to hurt someone else (at any age).

Interpersonal violence is violence between people (for example, colleagues, roommates, family members, or people in a dating relationship). Interpersonal violence is used by one person to exert power and control over another person, often in the context of dating, family, or household relationships.

Gender-based violence (or GBV) is violence rooted in gender inequality. It can include sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, sexual harassment, and stalking.

GBV and other forms of interpersonal violence can be physical, verbal, emotional, financial, and/or psychological. Violence can happen in person, online, or over the phone. If you are unsure whether you or someone you know is experiencing violence or you don’t know how CAN advocates can support you, contact us! We are happy to answer your questions.

No matter what form it takes, violence is never the survivor’s fault.

A safety plan is a practical, personalized plan for reducing risks of future harm and increasing your sense of safety (physical safety, technological safety, and emotional wellbeing). Safety planning can help keep you safe whether you are in a relationship, planning to leave, or if you have already left a partner. A safety plan can also help if you are experiencing harassment, stalking, family abuse, and/or sexual violence.

At CAN, we believe survivors have the right and expertise to develop their own safety plan. You are the expert on your situation and needs; we are here to provide the tools and strategies to make your plan a reality. This may mean big changes like finding a new place to live or going to court to request an order of protection, or smaller things like changing your email or social media passwords.

To learn more about safety planning, check out:

• Safety Planning – A guide for survivors of sexual violence and stalking from RAINN ( Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network)
• Path to Safety – A safety planning guide for survivors of domestic violence from the National Domestic Violence Hotline

Technology Safety Plan – A Guide for Survivors and Advocates from the National Network to End Domestic Violence

If you think someone is monitoring your device, contact an advocate at CAN, then exit this website and delete it from your search history. If possible, use a secure device, such as an office computer or a friend’s phone.

If it is safe for you, consider doing the following:

• Use your internet browser settings to increase your privacy by turning off your browsing history or using the browser in private mode (outlined here).
• Log out of your accounts and change your passwords and/or usernames.
• Update your device’s privacy settings. For example, turn off location sharing and Bluetooth sharing.

Check out the Technology Safety Plan from the National Network to End Domestic Violence for additional ways to stay safe online.

Thank you for supporting CAN, your students, and survivors on campus! Sharing information about CAN is crucial to getting survivors the services they need and ending violence at UIC. Please use the following blurb in your classes and syllabi:

If you have experienced sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, family abuse, stalking, or harassment, there is help available on campus. The Campus Advocacy Network provides free and confidential services to UIC students, faculty, and staff who have experienced or are experiencing interpersonal violence. If you would like to connect with an advocate, please contact CAN at can-appointment@uic.edu or call (312) 413-8206. To learn more, visit CAN’s website at https://can.uic.edu/.

You can also request a CAN training for your department, campus organization, or course. Find out more on our Education & Outreach page.

Within the University of Illinois system, all employees (unless specifically exempted, as in the case of CAN) are responsible employees. As a responsible employee, you are required to report any allegation or disclosure of sexual misconduct that you become aware of to the UIC Title IX Coordinator in the Office for Access and Equity, 809 S. Marshfield Ave, 7th floor, Room 717, Chicago, IL 60612; by phone at 312-996-8670; or by email at titleix@uic.edu.

Wondering how you can better support survivors in this role?

• Let students know in advance that you are a responsible employee and what this means. Share information about CAN in your classes so that students know they can meet with a confidential advocate if they are unsure whether or not they want to report.
• If someone discloses sexual misconduct to you, thank them for sharing, affirm that you are there to help, connect them with CAN, and remind them that you are required to report the incident. Explain that they have the right to participate or to not participate in an investigation and that CAN advocates can walk them through their options.

If you have questions about your role as a responsible employee, feel free to contact CAN, visit the University of Illinois “Responsible Employee Resources” page, or review the UIC Office of Access and Equity’s “About Confidentiality” page.

1. Check your UIC Protected Email Attachment Repository (PEAR) account at  http://go.uillinois.edu/pear. This is a system that CAN uses to send CAN letters and client information securely.
2. Review the documents shared by CAN. These will likely inform you that a student, faculty, or staff member is a CAN client and that they are requesting accommodations in your course or in the workplace.
3. If you have any questions about this message, reach out to the advocate at the email or phone number listed. We are happy to make clarifications as needed.
4. Reach out to the student, faculty, or staff member to share that you have gotten a letter from CAN on their behalf. Please let them know that you are available to discuss the accommodations they need to be successful on campus.

Please note that you are not required to report an incident you learn about through a confidential CAN letter.

• If you are a responsible employee and/or mandated reporter, explain what this means for your students, advisees, staff, etc. (before a disclosure, if possible).
• Share information about CAN services in your syllabi, office, and/or department.
• If someone tells you they have experienced violence, thank them for trusting you. Let them know you believe and support them. Tell them that there is help available and connect them with CAN. If you are required to report, be clear about what this means.
• Attend a CAN event, workshop, or training.
• Request a CAN training to teach your students, campus unit, and/or staff about gender-based violence. Instructors, take advantage of the Don’t Cancel Your Class! program to incorporate anti-violence education into your courses.
• Contact a CAN advocate to ask questions or process your feelings.

Keep up with CAN! Follow us on Facebook and subscribe to the WLRC listserv.