Incident Reporting

Employees and volunteers of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will use the CAES Incident Report to notify the CAES Dean and Director when an incident occurs that requires immediate attention. Certain incidents will also require contacting one or more of the following UGA offices: UGA Police Department, Equal Opportunity Office, UGA Audit Department, Office of Legal Affairs, UGA Human Resources and/or any other appropriate authority tasked with conducting official investigations. The CAES Incident Report form will serve to document the incident as initially reported and to document steps taken by CAES officials to respond to the situation.

The CAES Incident Report does not allow for a written narrative about an incident. If the person submitting the report thinks additional details should be provided to the Dean’s Office, s/he should do so by phone as soon as possible after submitting the report.

What must be reported?

These incidents must be reported immediately to the Office of the Dean and Director and to the appropriate authorities responsible for responding or conducting an official investigation:

  • Child abuse
  • Violations of public laws
  • Violations of BOR and/or UGA policies
  • Accidents
  • Illness and injury requiring professional medical attention
  • Any incident that could bring discredit to CAES or UGA

NOTE: If there is any question about whether an incident should be reported, proceed in reporting.

In addition to notifying the CAES Dean and Director, the following protocols must be followed for reporting allegations of child abuse and allegations of discrimination and harassment:

Allegation of child abuse, both adult to child and child to child:

  • If you suspect child abuse, or simply have an idea or uneasy feeling about a possible abuse situation, immediately report the situation to ALL of the following:
    1. The UGA Police Department regardless of the day of the week or the time of the day. The 24-hour Police number is 706-542-2200 or 911 (emergency);
    2. The Program/Activity Administrator; AND
    3. The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services at 1-855-GACHILD.

    A Mandatory Reporter must ensure that the Division of Family and Children Services is notified of the suspected abuse immediately and in no case later than 24 hours after the Program/Activity Staff (or other reporters) first had reasonable cause to suspect the abuse.

  • The CAES official at the scene must make sure there is no further opportunity for contact between the involved parties and will follow police instructions to further ensure the safety of the victim (and/or others). The CAES official on the scene will not investigate in any way or otherwise intervene in the matter.
  • UGA Police will direct all activities related to the case.
  • CAES staff and volunteers will comply with all police directives.

Allegation of discrimination or harassment:

  • A CAES representative must notify the Equal Opportunity Office (EOO) as soon as possible after becoming aware of an allegation of discrimination or harassment (as protected under the NDAH policy).
  • A CAES official may obtain information from the complainant sufficient to report the allegation and should inform the complainant that the matter will be turned over to EOO. A CAES official may not conduct an investigation.
  • CAES officials will follow directions from EOO regarding ensuring a reasonable work environment during the course of the investigation and beyond. If immediate action is needed to protect the safety of the complainant, the CAES official should notify UGA Police.

The CAES Human Resources Office will provide guidance and assistance in all matters pertaining to the proper reporting of incidents occurring in CAES.

Who provides an Incident Report?

Any College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences employee or volunteer may file a CAES Incident Report. However, it would be acceptable for individuals to contact the senior-level person in their organization (Department Head, District Director, Administrative Officer, etc.) and have that official handle the situation by notifying the proper authorities and submitting the CAES Incident Report. (NOTE: If an individual believes it is necessary to report an incident directly to UGA Police or EEO, s/he should do so, but then notify an appropriate CAES official as soon as possible.) The reporting party may send copies of the report to associate deans, assistant deans, directors, department heads, supervisors, and others, as appropriate.

Reporting Format

The CAES Incident Report should be used as the reporting document to CAES administration. The form can be transmitted by FAX, email, or if neither is available, call the Office of the Dean and Director.