Prevent Sexual Violence
Ivy Tech Community College intends to provide a safe place for all students. Violent behavior, direct or indirect threats, harassment, or intimidation will not be tolerated. It is the responsibility of all students to help keep the school safe by monitoring their own behavior and reporting incidents involving other students who exhibit any form of violent or threatening behavior. Determination of physical assault, battery or forcible sex offenses will be grounds for immediate dismissal. A student may appeal these sanctions by following the appropriate appeal process. All student actions/behaviors are also governed by local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
If you have experienced a sexual assault or violence in a dating or intimate relationship, the most important thing you can do is get to a safe place. If you believe you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911 as soon as possible.
Steps To Take If You Experience Sexual Violence
- Once you are safe, contact someone you trust to be with you for support. This could be a friend, family member, or someone on campus.
- Report it to your campus security or local law enforcement. Contacting the police does not require you to file charges.
- Seek medical attention (go to an emergency room and ask for a SAFE or rape exam) as soon as possible.
- Preserve evidence. Do not do any of the following things until you’ve gotten medical attention and/or contacted the police: Bathe or shower; Use the restroom; Change clothes; Comb hair; Clean up the crime scene; Move anything the offender may have touched. Don’t try to collect evidence yourself. Get help from medical or law enforcement personnel as soon as possible—or at least within 96 hours of the assault. You do not need to decide immediately whether to take action against the person who assaulted you, but if you might want to do this, it is important to preserve evidence of the assault.
- Get counseling and support by seeking out the contacts and resources listed below.
- Consider completing an incident report (see "Make A Report!").
Report An Incident
Students who become aware of a threatening situation or potential for violence should contact Campus Security or the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs immediately. Students can also utilize the incident report form via My Ivy or directly at ivytech.edu/incident.
Students making a report will be asked to provide as much detail as possible, including names of other witnesses, the name of the person making the threat or possessing the weapon, location and other pertinent information that would be helpful in conducting a fair and accurate investigation.
Q: Who can report an incident?
A: Anyone.
Q: What happens when I submit a report?
A: The report is routed to the campus Title IX Coordinator for review. The College will address all reports of sexual misconduct in a manner fitting the information that is shared. The Title IX Coordinator will assess the harm to both individuals and the community and will respond in light of available information and any requests for confidentiality.
Q: Will the Title IX Office contact me?
A: If you provide your name and your contact information, yes. We will want to acknowledge and follow-up on your report, check-in with you to learn what resources and support you might want or need, and make sure that you have been provided important information about options and next steps.
Q: What does NOT happen when I submit this report?
A: This form provides you with an opportunity to provide the Title IX Office with information related to sexual misconduct and the report will initiate a Title IX review. If you are a person who believes they have experienced sexual misconduct by a current Ivy Tech Community College student, faculty, or staff member, you may, if you choose, file a complaint to initiate an adjudication process.
Q: I am not sure if I should file this report. Can I talk to someone about my questions without providing details about the information I’m considering reporting?
A: Absolutely. The Title IX Coordinator would be happy to speak with you to answer all of your questions. You do not need to provide us with information about the report in order to get your questions answered.
Who To Talk To
Most Ivy Tech employees are either required or encouraged to report incidents of sexual harassment, gender-based harassment or sexual violence when they become aware of those incidents. There are other employees, "Confidential Employees," specifically trained to offer support to victims who may be consulted and who will keep information confidential, except in cases of immediate risk of harm to the community. Please see the lists of Confidential Employees; Title IX Coordinators, Campus and Community Resources, and Policies in the dropdowns below.
Policies
Ivy Tech Community College will thoroughly investigate all allegations of misconduct, make a determination based on facts and evidence, and take corrective action to correct the situation. The policies below provide further information and address address sexual discrimination, sexual misconduct, and violence.
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities at universities receiving federal funds. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, and sexual coercion. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.) requires schools that receive federal financial assistance to take necessary steps to prevent sexual assault on their campuses, and to respond promptly and effectively when an assault is reported. Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (42 U.S.C. § 2000c et seq.) also requires public schools to respond to sexual assaults committed against their students.
The Clery Act
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC § 1092(f)), commonly referred to as the Clery Act, requires colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to report annual statistics on crime on or near their campuses—including sexual assault and rape—and to develop and disseminate prevention policies. Click here to view Annual Security Reports by campus.
The Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) established federal legal definitions of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (Campus SaVE)
The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (Campus SaVE) was enacted in March 2013, and amends the Jeanne Clery Act, creating additional protections for victims of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, as well as creating more prescriptive requirements for prevention and awareness programs related to these offenses.
Prevention and Awareness Information
General Safety Tips
We encourage you to protect yourself and others whenever possible. Understand that no matter how safe or unsafe you are, sexual violence is not your fault. Taking these actions may increase your safety and the safety of others.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Listen to your intuition. If you feel like something is wrong, it probably is. Try to get out of the situation.
- Don't be afraid to make a scene and yell, scream, or run for protection. Some people’s physiological response may not be to fight, if that is the case, if possible ask to use the restroom or cause a distraction.
- Remember, alcohol and drugs can impair perceptions of and reactions to situations. Be especially careful when you drink, and when you're with someone who has been drinking. Remember that someone who is intoxicated cannot give consent by IU’s definition. If you aren’t sure you have a “yes,” then try and remove your friend from the situation and don’t engage in sexual activity.
- Watch your beverage at all times. Date rape drugs are tasteless, colorless, and odorless. People often don't know they have ingested these drugs until the effects are well under way.
- Go with a group of friends when you go out to a party or to the bars, and look out for each other.
- Speak up or call authorities if you see someone who could be in trouble. Under Indiana’s Lifeline Law, people younger than 21 who are under the influence of alcohol will not be prosecuted for crimes such as possession, intoxication or consumption of alcohol if they call 911 for medical help for another person or in cases of sexual assault and cooperate with police.
Bystander Intervention
Everyone has a duty to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive Ivy Tech community. Helping in potentially harmful incidents is part of that responsibility. Follow these steps when someone appears to be vulnerable to sexual violence. If you see something, say something!
- Notice the event. Pay attention to your surroundings.
- Interpret the event as a problem. Recognize that someone is being taken advantage of, vulnerable, or in danger. When in doubt, trust your gut, and step up to help at the at the earliest possible point.
- Take personal responsibility to help. If you don't help, it is unlikely that anyone else will.
- Decide how you are going to help. Try not to put yourself at risk or make the situation worse. There are many ways to help in different situations.
- Help! Take action and intervene to help prevent or respond to problematic situations at the earliest possible point. If you are not able to fully able to step up and help in a situation, consider responding by asking the person or persons involved if they need help or assistance, contacting the police, or seeking out others for assistance.
Types of Intervening/Helping
- Direct intervention: Directly addressing the situation in the moment to prevent harm. Examples of helping directly include talking to the person or removing them from the situation.
- Delegation: Ask other people to help you. This may be someone who is in a role of authority, such as a police officer or campus official.
- Distraction: Interrupting the situation without directly confronting someone by causing a distraction. Examples include spilling your drink, or distracting the individuals who may be involved in the situation by asking a question, causing a scene, or ordering pizza.
Training and Additional Resources
Title IX Coordinator Training Overview
ATIXA Civil Rights Investigator Level One Training and Certification
ATIXA Civil Rights Investigator Level Two Training and Certification
ATIXA Title IX Hearing Officer and Decision Makers Training and Certification
ATIXA Title IX Coordinator and Administrator Training and Certification Level One
Title IX Compliance and Athletics
