Cleveland State University officials announced Nov. 6, 2025 a new partnership with RealResponse, a secure anonymous reporting platform, to bolster campus reporting capabilities and further the institution’s commitment to safety and integrity.

The university announced that students, faculty and staff can now use multiple channels including text, email, WhatsApp and voice calls to report violations of law, regulation or university policy. The service functions anonymously and confidentially, with messages monitored Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Any reports made after-hours  will be reviewed on the next business day.

According to the RealResponse website, the platform supports “anonymous, two-way engagement” and enables users to submit reports and receive responses without disclosing their identity. The platform also anonymizes phone numbers and protects identifying data in its communications. 

Reportable activities under the system include, but are not limited to: hazing, discrimination or harassment, safety concerns, nepotism or misuse of public position, fraud, intellectual-property issues, data privacy, ADA matters, academic or research misconduct and denial of free speech rights.

“This partnership reaffirms our promise to foster a community grounded in respect, inclusion and responsibility,” said Matt Roche, J.D., executive director of compliance at the university. 

Charlotte-based RealResponse launched in 2015 as a college-focused company that provided schools with a platform to collect athlete feedback. It quickly found a niche in other markets. Today, RealResponse provides an anonymous channel for voicing concerns, and is used by over 200 organizations, including colleges and universities according to its website.

The university said it has offered free anonymous reporting to its campus community and that cost will continue not to be a barrier. “We don’t want cost to be a barrier for students to prioritize their health and wellness,” Roche said.

According to the CSU press release, RealResponse assures that students, faculty and staff can confidentially and anonymously report through either text, including photos or videos, email or WhatsApp. CSU will not know an individual’s name, phone number or email address unless they choose to include it in the report. Anonymous reports may also be filed via telephone at 216-687-0538.

The university did not address the possibility of an anonymous reporting system being misused. However, the broadening of avenues for victims of abuse, whistleblowers and witnesses of malfeasance to speak out without fear of retaliation is welcome.