Texas Tech University

Title IX - Sexual Misconduct

Research activities must be compliant with applicable federal and state laws and university policies. The IRB and HRPP office expect all researchers to put the participant's well-being and safety first.

Title IX

All TTU employees and students are required to report to the TTU Office for Student Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct if they receive information about sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment or violence that meets one or more of the following criteria:

    • Is alleged to have been perpetrated by a TTU student, staff, or faculty member, OR
    • The alleged victim is a TTU student, staff, or faculty member, OR
    • Has occurred on TTU property or during a TTU activity.

If the Research Topic is Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, Harassment or Violence

If there is a reasonable expectation that the target population will disclose information about sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment or violence while participating in the research a plan for this circumstance must be included in the research protocol and informed consent. The research team does not report this information to the Office for Student Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct, unless, the participant requests to the research team that the incident be reported to the Office for Student Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct on the participant's behalf. Your IRB will state in the findings of the IRB approval letter if the research team is not required to report to the Office for Student Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct. If the participant is in immediate threat, call 911.

Exempt research is anonymous and cannot be reported at the individual level. This does not require a change to the informed consent document. Additional language can be added to the debriefing script. When it is feasible, the IRB and HRPP office recommend that the data is collected anonymously, and researchers do not have access to identifiers.

Limited research cannot include sexual misconduct topics. If identifiers are needed for the research this must be reviewed through the expedited or full board process.

Expedited and full board research will require the additional language to the informed consent process and debriefing script.

Informed Consent Language
How are we protecting your privacy?

Your name will not be linked to any material in reports, publications or presentations. No one other than the researchers associated with this project will have access to the raw data. All related documentation will be stored in the researcher's locked office and on a password protected computer.

Additional Language:

As a researcher, I am not required to report to TTU authorities and/or law enforcement officials on the information that you may disclose in the course of this research related to sexual misconduct, violence, harassment, or discrimination, etc. You should be aware disclosures made during this research will not prompt a Title IX investigation into possible sexual misconduct.

If we believe that you or someone else are in imminent danger of serious physical harm, we may need to contact someone to make sure you're safe. This would only happen if we were not able to work with you directly to come up with a plan to keep you, or someone else, safe.

Debriefing Language

Must include a list of resources available to participants.

Additional Language:
If you want to report sexual misconduct at Texas Tech University, you can contact the Office for Student Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct. You can then meet with the office staff and they will open an investigation into this matter.  If you would like me to file a report with the Office for Student Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct on your behalf and help you get into contact with these resources, please let me know.


If the Research Topic is NOT Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, Harassment or Violence

If a research participant discloses Title IX: sexual misconduct information this would trigger mandatory reporting to the TTU Office for Student Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct. In addition, this will constitute a reportable incident to the HRPP office since it is an unanticipated event. This is an unanticipated event because the research team did not expect the research participants to disclose sexual misconduct information. The Principal Investigator must complete an incident submission in Cayuse IRB within three days of learning of the issue and report the incident to the TTU Office for Student Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct. If the participant is in immediate threat, call 911.

 

TTU Title IX Reporting

Human Research Protection Program

© 2024  Texas Tech University Feb 9, 2023 4:36 PM