UCC Privacy Statement for Speak Out

Please read the privacy statement before making a report below.

Speak Out enables UCC to collect data about incidents of discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, hate crime and other improper behaviour that our students and staff have either experienced or witnessed.  The importance of the recording and reporting of data on the incidence rates of sexual harassment and violence in Irish higher education institutes (“HEIs”) was highlighted in the 2019 “Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions: Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive – Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions”. 

Speak Out is an anonymous reporting tool.  This means that you will not be asked for your name or any other personal details about you or another person and the University will not take any specific action or commence any formal complaint process as a result of your anonymous report.  UCC will not use the information you provide in your report to attempt to identify you or the person(s) who is/are the subject of your complaint.

• At national level, the Speak Out project is being rolled out across 18 HEIs. The data collected through Speak Out will be used to monitor trends of misconduct across the country, inform and improve policy and targeted educational initiatives. 
• At University level, the data collected from Speak Out can be used by UCC to better understand the issues and behaviours impacting our University community, to monitor patterns,  and to shape, develop and deliver initiatives aimed at raising awareness of, and taking steps to eliminate, this type of behaviour in the UCC community. 

Speak Out uses a series of multiple-choice questions with no capacity for any persons to be named. Some questions are optional and there is no obligation on you to provide the optional data.

Although Speak Out is a national initiative, the data inputted by UCC students and staff is only accessible by UCC. UCC is the Data Controller of the data collected when its students and staff use Speak Out.  Furthermore, only named, and specifically trained, UCC administrators have access to the data on the Speak Out site. 

While Speak Out is anonymous, it will, importantly, direct you to appropriate supports at UCC and provide you with information on what formal reporting procedures are available if you have experienced unacceptable behaviour as a member of the UCC community.    

• Read the national Speak Out Privacy Statement for further information on Data Protection
• Further information on Data Protection and Privacy at UCC 

Anonymously report an incident using Speak Out by selecting "Make a Report Now", below. (If you would like to preview the questions asked in the report, you can click through the questions on the tool but please do not click submit unless you wish to go ahead and report an incident.) 

By selecting "Make a Report", you confirm that you have read and understood UCC Privacy Statement - Speak Out.