Night Owl Reporting Obligations

• Mandatory Reporting

As per Oregon law, all employees of Oregon higher education institutions, including private colleges like Reed, are designated as mandatory reporters of child abuse. All instances of child abuse and neglect as witnessed or disclosed to them by someone under the age of 18 must be reported to Oregon Dept. Human Services, or the 24/7 abuse hotline 855-503-SAFE (7233). Call 911 if abuse is happening now. 

This is a 24/7 obligation, and the report must be made within 24 hours. The employee does not need to tell college; it is between the reporter & the state of Oregon. Telling a supervisor does not absolve the reporter of this duty. This does not apply to people currently 18 or older (if there is no active threat of abuse).

Night Owls are Mandatory Reporters. 

For more information about Reed’s mandatory reporting policy, please visit the Reed Guidebook or visit the Oregon Department of Human Services: Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse webpage. Contact information for ODHS and the abuse hotline are listed on the webpage. For reporting assistance, you may wish to speak to your supervisor (but still must report: see above). 

• Obligatory Reporting

Obligatory Reporting refers to the obligations of employees to report violations of Title IX protections, such as instances of sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct. Obligatory reporters are classified as such based on their role. This includes any employee that is not confidential and has the authority to (1) institute corrective measures, or (2) hold responsibility for administrative leadership, advising responsibilities, or teaching responsibilities. If meeting the conditions for (1) or (2) above, must report to Title IX.

Obligated Reporters are all staff and faculty (except medical and counseling staff and Confidential Advocates), Housing Advisors, Judicial Board members, Student Senate members and student workers who supervise other student workers.

Night Owls are NOT obligatory reporters. 

However, if a student discloses sexual misconduct of any kind, such as an experience of harassment or interpersonal violence, you must provide information to contact the Title IX Coordinator and information about how to report such sex discrimination to the college. 

Filing a Title IX report can be done in several ways. Essentially, any form of communication to the Title IX Coordinator (including Deputy Coordinators) indicating that an instance of sex-based discrimination took place can be considered a report. Using the online report form. is a particularly efficient way to notify the Title IX Coordinator, but any contact is acceptable.

• Confidential

Employees are not required to report, and instead maintain the privacy of the information shared, unless asked to report by the one disclosing. There are limitations to confidentiality for each role, including mandatory reporting requirements and harm to self and other; specific limitations vary and may be discussed with such resources. 

Night Owls are not confidential resources.

The confidential resources on campus are SHARE (Program Director) and the HCC (Counselors & Medical staff). 

Night Owls do, however, maintain a high ethic of privacy. We do not share information about a student (unless legally compelled to do so–which is a rare, and not-yet-seen occurrence–or requested to do so by the student). We respect the personal information, experiences, and support requests we receive and/or witness by our community by limiting disclosure beyond you, the person in question, and if seeking support and/or supervision, your Night Owl partners, Captains and Program Director. 

• Privileged

Employees are legally protected from disclosing information shared between parties in specified professional relationships (i.e. advocate-client, attorney-client, counselors/therapist-client).

Night Owls do not have legal privilege. 

The Confidential Advocate (at Reed, SHARE Program Director) and the HCC (Counselors & Medical staff) have roles and certifications that make them privileged resources on campus. 

• Campus Security Authority (CSA)

“An official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, student housing, student discipline and campus judicial proceedings.” 

The role of a CSA is to report Clery crimes as reported to them–not simply witness. This is a 24/7 obligation, regardless of whether you are on-the-clock. Further, CSAs do not enforce policies. That is the role of Community Safety and Law Enforcement. 

• The criminal offenses that CSA’s are required to report are: 
  • Murder/non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter
  • Sex offenses (rape, fondling, statutory rape or incest)
  • Robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft
  • Aggravated assault
  • Arson
  • Liquor law violations, drug law violations 
  • Illegal weapons possession
  • Dating or domestic violence
  • Stalking 

CSAs must also report the crimes of theft, simple assault, intimidation and vandalism if an element of bias exists as motivation for the crime(s). CSAs are required to report offenses that occur on-campus, in residence facilities, on non-campus property, and on public property that is adjacent to campus property. 

Night Owls are CSAs

If a student/community member discloses to a Night Owl an experience of any such offense, they are required to report. CSAs report offenses through the Crime Reporting Form on the Community Safety webpage, or on the online anonymous form.

Witnessing such offenses does not necessitate a report. In this instance, you are a witness, not a CSA. It’s weird! But it helps, because being  a CSA is a 24/7 responsibility, and we are all also witness to our surroundings.