UChicago CARES: Key Principles and Values

Person-Centered

For prevention education and policy and process development, we work to be responsive to the needs and interests of members of the campus community, and to evaluate the effectiveness of our work through the experience of community members. For response to reports, we listen to a person’s experience and impact to inform our response, giving agency to each person in decisions regarding services, support and resources, and resolution options.

Equitable and Fair

We approach our work to advance equity and fairness in individual responses as well as policies, processes, and practices. Equity acknowledges that people have different needs and experiences that include barriers that have prevented full participation of some people; fairness commits to treating each person equally while acknowledging this difference. We are multi-partial; we work to actively support all who engage with us. We recognize the impact of University culture and climate as well as differences in authority and power, and how the environment and systems can affect people’s experiences. We promote practices that are accountability-based. In our work, we are committed to restoring and preserving equal access so that all members of the University community may learn and contribute.

Transparent

We work to be as transparent as possible with members of the University community in our policies, processes, and practices. We acknowledge that transparency has limits and we strive to work within the boundaries established by the laws, regulations, and respect for the privacy of individuals who engage with UChicago CARES. This includes establishing clear expectations around the work we can do for the campus community and the limitations in our work, soliciting ongoing feedback, and communicating any changes as a result.

Trauma-Informed

We acknowledge trauma and its impact on a person and their experience interacting with University resources. We also acknowledge that policies, practices and laws may not be trauma-informed. We understand that each person’s trauma response may be different, and that trauma may be a cumulative response to individual and systemic, sometimes intergenerational, experiences. We evaluate each matter through a multi-disciplinary approach, where we work to reduce stress, to not cause additional harm, and to promote safety, power, and value.