Starting in January, all University of Minnesota employees will be required for the first time to report incidents of sexual harassment directed at students.

The mandate is part of a new policy on sexual assault and harassment that was approved Friday by the board of regents.

In addition, all employees will be required to report sexual assault, stalking or “relationship violence” to the campus Title IX office, which investigates such cases.

In the past, only supervisors and employees with advisory responsibilities were required to notify the U about reports of sexual misconduct.

Tina Marisam, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, said the new rules are designed to ensure that employees who learn about incidents of sexual misconduct take steps to help the victims.

Marisam said the university will provide training for employees to ensure they have “the knowledge and the tools to respond well.”

New rules for U

• University employees must report sexual assault, stalking and relationship violence to the campus Title IX office.

• University employees must report sexual harassment directed at students to the campus Title IX office.

• Supervisors and human resources representatives must report sexual harassment directed at employees to the campus Title IX office. Other University employees are encouraged to report sexual harassment directed at employees to the campus Title IX office, human resources, or a supervisor.

Some faculty members and graduate students have raised concerns that the new rules might discourage some students from confiding in them if they know the incident will have to be reported to the university.

But Marisam said the goal is to provide resources to victims, not to trigger a formal investigation without their consent. “When we get that information at the Title IX office, we keep that confidential,” she said. “We provide them with all their options and then allow them to decide whether they want to initiate an investigation.”