The University has instituted a hotline for faculty and staff to report complaints, such as harassment.

The University, in conjunction with the Board of Regents, established the hotline in January and Provost Arnett Mace made its announcement this week.

The anonymous and independently operated hotline is available 24 hours, seven days a week at 877-516-3467.

Incidents involving sexual harassment should continue to be reported directly to the Office of Legal Affairs, according to the hotline’s Web site.

“I think any action the University takes is a positive step in the right direction,” Larry Gourdine, coordinator for the Office of Violence and Prevention, said Thursday at a discussion titled “Drawing the Line.”

The discussion outlined basic information about sexual harassment, including the different types of harassment, ways to avoid harassment and avenues to seek help. Gourdine told the approximately 10 students present to document all incidents in a meticulous way so they can “build a paper trail.”

“Sadly enough, it’s up to the person being harassed to build the case,” he said. “Unless that happens, it becomes ‘he said, she said’ and not reporting allows the perpetrator to victimize over and over again.”

Gourdine said discussions on harassment help students have a “voice.”

“It’s important to have this discussion because what I’ve been hearing from students is they don’t have a place to go to voice their concerns,” Gourdine said.

“Students need to know they have a voice and that they do not have to suffer in silence.”