Reporting sexual violence - The University of Tulsa
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Reporting sexual violence

You may choose to report to law enforcement, you may choose to report through our campus disciplinary process, you may report to both or you may choose to access neither of these options. The University of Tulsa will protect your identity in publicly available information, such as within our annual security report or in warnings sent to the campus community.

You can also access the accommodations listed below (see Requesting Accommodations and Interim Measures) regardless of where you choose to report, and we will keep these accommodations private as well, as long as it does not limit our ability to provide them to you. If we would need to share information in order to provide accommodations, we would notify you of what information needs to be shared, why, and with whom, prior to sharing the information.

Program director

918-631-2324 (Mandated reporter)

Survivor advocate

918-631-2965 (Confidential)

  • On-campus reporting

    There are people on and off campus who can support you in reporting to law enforcement if you choose to do so. If you are ready to report to the university:

    You can contact the Title IX Coordinator at 918-631-2321. They can assist you in notifying Campus Security and, if you are ready, community law enforcement. They can help connect you to other people and resources on our campus.

    Regardless of whether or not you report to the police:

    You may file a report with the Title IX Coordinator at any time. Filing a report will allow you to receive support and assistance in order to ensure your safety and well-being. Filing a report

    with does not obligate you to proceed with a formal hearing process. However, please note that by filing a report , the University is obligated under Title IX to investigate the report if risk is posed to the university community. The University will take all reasonable steps to investigate and respond to the complaint consistent with your request not to pursue an investigation.

    To file a report you can call 918-631-2321. Another option is that a campus security officer can also be summoned by pressing the red button on any of the emergency phones (blue lights) or the phones outside residence halls located throughout the campus community. You can also visit Campus Security. They are located in the Mabee Gym, with the entrance on the east side.

    Campus Security Officers are trained to respond to survivors of sexual violence. You may request a female or male officer to meet you, and you may also consider contacting a Primary Contact (see above) or a DVIS Advocate to be with you when filing.

    In filing a report, you will be asked to provide a description of what occurred, in order to better investigate the complaint and to provide more detail for a hearing, if you choose to proceed with that option.

    If you choose to file a university complaint and proceed with a hearing, Campus Security acts as the primary investigator and will submit their findings to the Dean of Students in order to proceed with a hearing.

  • Filing a formal University Complaint and the hearing process

    By choosing to file a University Complaint, you are not obligating yourself to proceed with a hearing and you may choose to have your identity remain confidential or your report to remain anonymous. Both of these options will be discussed below. Additionally, it is important to note that the following procedures are for acts of violence perpetrated by a TU student against a TU student (Law School students have additional rules and procedures), when both you and the alleged perpetrator are still enrolled at the University. There is no time limit to file a complaint; however, the University will be unable to proceed with an investigation and hearing once the alleged perpetrator has left the University. If you have experienced an act of sexual violence by a staff or faculty member, the process will be different (explained below). If you have experienced an act of sexual violence by a non-TU person, then the University will be unable to hear the complaint. However, they will assist you in receiving support and navigating the legal process if you choose to file with the police.

    If you choose to move forward with a formal complaint and hearing process, here are the steps:

    Filing a complaint

    You will file a University Complaint with the Title IX Coordinator.

    An investigation will be conducted without regard to any criminal jurisdiction investigation. Please note that the University is obligated by law to conduct a thorough investigation as promptly as is possible.

    At the conclusion of the investigation, Hearing Officer will convene the University Student Conduct Board to hear the complaint you have filed. The University Student Conduct Board is made up of a Conduct Officer who is trained in hearing cases of sexual violence and who are bound by strict confidentiality guidelines. Everything that occurs within the hearing is confidential.

    During the hearing process, the officer will have a chance to hear from you, the alleged perpetrator, and any witnesses. You are not required to be in the same room as the alleged perpetrator and you have the right to request to remain separated from the alleged perpetrator. Additionally, the following apply:

    1. Both parties will be able to present witnesses and evidence;

    2. Attorneys are permitted to participate in the hearing for both parties.  Students will be allowed breaks to step outside the hearing to speak with their attorneys;

    3. Neither party will be allowed to question or cross examine the other;

    4. Both parties will have the opportunity to appeal;

    5. The past sexual history of the student filing the complaint and alleged perpetrator will be deemed irrelevant to the proceeding process unless something within that history may be related directly to the incident being heard; and

    6. A decision will be based on the following standard: that it is more likely than not that the alleged behavior occurred, sometimes referred to as the preponderance of the evidence.

    Both parties will be notified concurrently in writing about the outcome of the complaint. Both parties will also be notified of the appeal process as both have the right to appeal a decision whether or not the accused was found responsible.

    If the alleged perpetrator is found responsible, possible sanctions may include disciplinary probation, suspension or dismissal. Additionally, the University, where possible, and for the welfare of the survivor, will make adjustments in such things as housing assignments and enrollment. The University will also take steps to prevent reoccurrence of any harassment and to correct its discriminatory effects on the complainant and others if appropriate

    If the alleged perpetrator is a student athlete, or otherwise involved in a campus wide extracurricular activity, the University reserves the right to suspend the student from such activity. This action will be recommended by the Office of the Dean of Students, with the input of the Head Coach and Athletic Director or other activity leader and the final decision will be made by the President of the University.

  • Confidentiality and anonymous reporting

    If you would like to file a University Complaint, but would like to maintain anonymity or confidentiality, there are additional options for you. Please note, however, that there are limitations in investigating and in confidentiality measures in these cases.

    Retaliation
    It is important to note here that Title IX prohibits retaliation and that University officials will not only take steps to prevent retaliation but also take strong responsive action if it occurs. Acts of reprisal, revenge and retribution are all considered retaliation and a violation of Title IX and University policy. It is important to discuss these concerns with the Dean of Students Office or a Primary Contact before you decide to maintain confidentiality/anonymity, as doing so will limit what the University can do.

    Confidentiality and reporting without pursuing complaint
    If you choose to file a University Complaint, but you request confidentiality or ask that the complaint not be pursued, the university will take all reasonable steps to investigate and respond to the complaint consistent with the request for confidentiality or the request not to pursue an investigation. In these cases where you do not want your name or other identifiable information disclosed, the university’s ability to respond may be limited. The university will need to evaluate your request in the context of its responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, which includes considering such factors as: the seriousness of the alleged harassment; the complainant’s age; whether there have been other harassment complaints against the same individual; and the alleged perpetrator’s rights to receive information about the allegations if the information is maintained as an “educational record” under FERPA. This means that the University may be required by law to take some form of action, or, may not be able to take any action at all.

    Anonymous reporting
    Students do have the right and ability to anonymously report an act of sexual violence as victims, perpetrators, or witnesses of the act. The process of anonymous reporting is currently only available in person. However, there is an online form that will be available shortly.

    To anonymously report, you are encouraged to meet with a Primary Contact or stop by the Dean of Students Office and request a student complaint form. Anyone in the Primary Contact can provide you with a paper form where you can anonymously report the incident. You may also visit a Counselor in the Counseling Center on campus to anonymously report and receive confidential support, information or follow-up care as desired

  • Help during and after business hours

    Help during regular business hours

    Title IX Coordinator: 918-631-2321
    TU DVIS Advocate: 918-631-2965*
    Office of Violence Prevention: 918-631-2324
    Dean of Students: 918-631-2510
    Campus Security: 918-631-5555

    Help after regular business hours
    DVIS 24-hour line: 918-743-5763
    Campus Security: 918-631-5555 (Ask to speak to the on-call counselor.)

    Please see the campus disciplinary process sections for more information about pursuing an investigation under campus policy.