CENTER FOR STUDENT ADVOCACY AND WELLNESS

If you would like to report your experience to the Office of Civil Rights, you can fill out an online report that will be reviewed by the Title IX Coordinator or meet with a staff member from the Office of Civil Rights. Anonymous reports are accepted, but the university is limited in how they are able to respond.  
If a report is filed by someone else and names you as a person who may have been impacted, you will receive outreach from OCR with resources and information about resolution options. You do not have to engage and are never compelled to participate in an investigation if you do not want to.  

Typically, reporting, whether online or through a meeting with an OCR staff member, will not automatically trigger an investigation if you do not want it to. In rare cases, the university may become aware of behavior they decide needs to be investigated and proceed with an investigation without the participation of the impacted party or reporting party. When this occurs, the university becomes the complainant, and the reporting party is not required to participate in the investigation.  

After OCR receives a report, they will determine if the allegations, if substantiated, would constitute a violation of university policy. If the answer is yes, a complainant may choose to move forward through formal investigation or Alternative Resolution. If the allegations do not rise to the level of a policy violation, students are still able to receive supportive measures. 

CSAW advocates are able to accompany you to meetings with the Office of Civil Rights if you would like. You do not have to report to access resources or supportive measures.  

A formal investigation through the university is a fact-finding process that results in a determination of responsibility about the respondent. This determination is based on a preponderance of the evidence. If the respondent is found responsible, they are eligible for sanctions, which may include restrictions on campus access, loss of privileges, suspension, or expulsion. Complainant participation is usually, although not always, needed for an investigation to move forward.  

The steps in a formal investigation under the Policy for Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct are outlined here. The steps in a formal investigation under the Interim Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment are outlined here. 

Alternative Resolution is available to students as an alternative to the formal resolution process. Alternative Resolution is not a fact-finding investigation and is designed for students to find ways to remedy the harm without going through a formal investigation.  

A complainant may decide to pursue Alternative Resolution instead of the formal investigation process or may request an Alternative Resolution process at any point in a formal investigation before the findings are finalized. Both complainants and respondents can request Alternative Resolution, but participation is voluntary, and students are never required to participate in the process. OCR also must determine that Alternative Resolution is appropriate for the situation. 

Either party is able to terminate the alternative resolution process, and either revert to the formal investigation or withdraw their complaint, at any point before the Alternative Resolution agreement is signed. Once the agreement is signed by both parties and the OCR representative, the matter is considered finalized, and parties cannot pursue a formal investigation into the same matter. The terms of the agreement are binding and the university may take disciplinary action if either party violates the agreement. 

All non-punitive measures can be discussed during Alternative Resolution, including but not limited to limitations on participation in classes or extracurriculars, restrictions on campus access such as dorms or libraries, and educational workshops for either or both parties. 

The steps in an Alternative Resolution process under the Policy for Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct are outlined here. The steps in an Alternative Resolution process under the Interim Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment are outlined here. 

The University offers supportive measures for students who have experienced sexual misconduct, relationship violence, or stalking, as well as other forms of discrimination and harassment. These measures are free of charge and available to any student who has experienced conduct that is prohibited by ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ policy, regardless of if the student chooses to make a formal report to the Office of Civil Rights. These measures and accommodations are kept as private as possible but may be shared as is necessary to provide the supportive measures.  

Supportive measures may include but are not limited to changes in academic assignments or schedules, housing changes, mutual no-contact directives, or transportation arrangements.