Reporting Concerns or Unprofessional Behavior

The purpose of the Learning Environment's private web-based reporting form is to provide a private, online reporting mechanism for learners to identify any unprofessional behavior they have experienced or witnessed within any of the learning environments within Larner (including all affiliate clinical sites). Larner credentials are required to access this form. It is for reporting, follow-up and tracking purposes. 

Please note: This form is not for emergencies.  If you have an emergency call 911. 

We understand that many learners have fears around reporting. It is important to know that all reports are kept private, unless disclosure is permitted by the reporter or is required by law or university policy.  All reports are reviewed within 10 working days, and will be triaged, de-identified and tabulated by the Director of the Learning Environment.  To further alleviate concerns we wait until grades are closed to begin the adjudication process.

Ever wonder where your reports go and how your concerns are addressed? 

All reports will be reviewed within 10 working days, and will be triaged, de-identified and tabulated by the Director of the Learning Environment. 

Process for reporting a concern submitted to the Learning Environment:

If perceived mistreatment, unprofessional behavior or academic misconduct is witnessed or experienced the following steps should be followed:

Step 1: Consult medical student handbook and policies  or consider debrief with to counsel from advisor, faculty mentor, peer, Director of Student Wellbeing or the Director of the Learning Environment.

Step 2: Report incident or Student decides not to pursue reporting after discussion with involved parties or after consultation with counsel from advisor, faculty mentor, peer or other.

Step 3:  If this is an incident of harassment or discrimination, the report will go directly to the UVM Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). If the incident is not considered harassment or discrimination, then do one or all of the following: Describe incident on clerkship or course evaluation form, Submit a report  through the Learning Environment reporting form, Report to a faculty member, trusted advisor, Associate Dean for Students, Director of Wellbeing or directly to the Director of the Learning Environment.

Step 4: The Director of the Learning Environment, The Learning Environment team and the Learning Environment executive Committee reviews all reports and determines adjudication. All reports determined to involve harassment or discrimination are reported to the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO)/ Title IX.   

For complete details on the policy regarding submitting a professionalism concern report in the learning environment please refer to the Medical Student Handbook and policy # 630.10 | Procedures for Reporting Violations of the Positive Learning Environment and Mistreatment Prevention.

•  An incident report is submitted and reviewed by the Director of the Learning Environment.  
• If the incident is harassment of discrimination the report is sent directly to UVM's Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) and Title IX coordinator for review. 
• If the incident is urgent then the LEAP Executive Committee is convened for immediate adjudication.
• If the concern is not urgent then the incident is reviewed monthly by the LEAP Executive Committee.  This committee reviews and decides level and severity and determines adjudication needed.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) defines mistreatment as any behavior—intentional or unintentional—that disrespects the dignity of others and disrupts the learning environment for medical students, residents, or other learners in medical education settings.

Mistreatment categories:

General: physical harm/ punishment, personal service(s), belittlement/ humiliation

Sexual:  denied opportunities based on gender, request for sexual favors in exchange for grades, unwanted sexual advances, offensive sexist remarks, lower grades/ evaluations based on gender

Racial/ Ethnic: denied opportunities based on racial/ ethnicity, offensive remarks/ names, lower grades / evaluations based on race

Sexual Orientation: denied opportunities based on sexual orientation, offensive remarks/ names, lower grades/ evaluations based on sexual orientation 

There are many ways to report a Learning Environment concern. 

Options include:

• Submit a report to the Learning Environment's private web-based reporting form
• Email a member of the Office of the Learning Environment team.
• Contact a LEAP Committee Student Representative
• Talk to a trusted staff or faculty member

Our use of Cup of Coffee Conversations (CoC) is based on Vanderbilt University Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy's Cup of Coffee model. CoC are a peer intervention model to address unprofessional behavior. They are informal, private, non-punitive and non- judgmental conversations held between peers. The goal is to promote self-awareness, behavioral change to foster a respectful learning and work environment. 

The majority of professionalism concerns are handled with cup of coffee conversations and result in improvement in behavior and no further reports. 

The image above depicts 2 people having a cup of coffee conversation and then lists the 4 points that a cup of coffee conversation should cover including: 

• Raise Awareness/ help the person understand the impact of their action
• Spark Dialogue/ create an opportunity to explore concerns together
• Encourage Empathy/ build insight into the experience of those affected
• Drive Behavior Change/ Increase motivation to adjust unprofessional behavior