University of Michigan expands reporting duties and anti-discrimination policies: Will accountability reach every corner?

The University of Michigan is rewriting the rules of accountability on campus. In a move effective immediately, the institution has expanded mandatory reporting obligations to nearly all non-confidential employees and unveiled an interim anti-discrimination policy for students.

The Michigan Daily reported that the changes mark one of the broadest shifts in how the University addresses misconduct, discrimination and retaliation, and may reshape the culture of trust across classrooms, offices and residence halls.

From a select few to everyone

Previously, reporting duties fell only on a defined group of supervisors, faculty and staff — a category known as 'Individuals with Reporting Obligations'. Now, the responsibility has widened to include all non-confidential employees, from student workers to administrative staff. According to the Michigan Daily, they must report any information about alleged discrimination, harassment, retaliation or sexual misconduct to the Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office within 48 hours. There are exceptions. Information disclosed in classroom discussions or assignments will not be reportable, nor will disclosures to employees bound by confidentiality agreements such as therapists and healthcare professionals. But for the vast majority of the University community, silence is no longer an option. Sanctions for failing to report range from a formal reprimand to expulsion, depending on the number of infractions.

Following peers, answering Washington

The University is not alone in expanding such obligations. Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University and Eastern Michigan University already enforce mandatory reporting for all employees. But for the University of Michigan, the changes are also tied to federal oversight. The Michigan Daily noted that the new policies fulfill a 2024 agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, which required clearer procedures after an investigation launched in June 2024. In other words, this is not just institutional preference but also regulatory compliance. The question is whether it will build confidence among students and survivors, or deepen anxieties about reporting.

An interim policy for students

Alongside the expansion of reporting duties, the University rolled out an Interim Policy and Procedures on Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation by Students. The Michigan Daily reported that it outlines non-discrimination commitments, avenues of support and processes for complaints. Importantly, this policy is not final. The Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office will hold listening sessions with students and faculty in the coming months. For administrators, the consultations are an attempt to signal transparency. For students, they may serve as a test of whether lived experience will meaningfully shape the rules they must navigate.

Accountability or overreach?

University officials describe these changes as overdue steps towards creating a safer, more equitable environment. But the expansion also raises a sharper question: Does mandating every employee to report misconduct empower a culture of openness, or does it risk fostering fear of surveillance and over-reporting?The Michigan Daily has covered years of frustration over how the University handled misconduct cases in the past.

The new framework is designed to prevent silence from allowing harm to go unchecked. Still, the effectiveness of the policies will hinge not just on rules written in handbooks but on how they are enforced, interpreted and trusted.

The larger test ahead

Policies can change overnight; cultures take far longer. The University of Michigan’s decision may satisfy regulators and align with peer institutions. But whether accountability will indeed “reach every corner” — from classrooms to dormitories, from faculty lounges to student jobs, depends on how a generation of students and employees experience these changes in real time. For a university long under scrutiny, this moment is more than compliance. It is a chance to prove that policies on paper can translate into safety, trust and belonging on campus.