Sexual assaults violate the legal rights of individuals
and undermine the university as a civil and caring environment
within which to learn and work. To address the myriad issues
presented by sexual assaults, the university will: (1) provide
educational information about the nature of sexual assaults
and how they can be prevented; (2) offer support and assistance
for those who have been sexually assaulted; and (3) administer
appropriate consequences to those who have been adjudged
responsible for sexually assault acts.
Definition of Sexual Assault
A sexual assault is an act of rape, forcible sodomy and
forcible sexual penetration, however slight, of another
person's anal or genital opening with an object. Touching
an unwilling person's private intimate parts (defined as
genitalia, groin, breast, buttocks or clothing covering
them) or forcing an unwilling person to touch another's
intimate parts is also assaultive behavior. When committed
either by force, threat, intimidation or through the use
of the victim's mental or physical helplessness of which
the perpetrator was aware or should have been aware, these
acts constitute sexual assaults.
Policy
No form of sexual assault will be tolerated at FHSU. This
policy prohibits acts defined as sexual assaults as well
as attempts to coerce an unwilling person to engage in sexual
activity.
In order to implement this policy, the university will engage
in timely educational activities to inform members of the
community about the types of sexual actions deemed unacceptable
and how assaultive situations can be prevented and/or avoided.
The university will also take action against those who violate
this policy.
Procedure
Any individual can report an incident that he/she perceives
to be a sexual assault. However, university staff, including
residence hall assistants, is required to report incidents
of which they become aware to the Director of Student Support
Services in the Kelly Center. Victims of sexual assaults
will be encouraged and assisted to report assaults to civil
authorities. The university has established procedures for
investigating and administering sanctions in instances of
sexual assaults.
A. Reporting Procedures
(1) University Police should be notified immediately after
an incident. The purposes of this initial contact are to
render immediate assistance to the victim, to protect evidence
associated with the assault and to protect others who may
be assaulted.
(2) The person who has been sexually assaulted should seek
immediate medical attention from the Student Health Center,
a hospital or a personal physician. The medical examination
is important. The physician will collect specimens and make
detailed notes about the physical evidence such as bruises,
cuts and traces of semen. The victim of sexual assault can
decide later whether or not to pursue legal action against
the attacker. However, evidence can only be collected immediately
after the assault. It cannot be retrieved later. The healthcare
professional can test later for sexually transmitted diseases
and pregnancy.
(3) As soon as possible, University Police should contact
the Kelly Center on-call psychologist to provide psychological
support to the victim. The goals of this intervention are
to stabilize the victim's condition, to present to the victim
alternatives for continued support and to present options
for redressing the assault through administrative and/or
civil procedures.
(4) The Kelly Center on-call psychologist will notify the
Director of Student Support Services in the Kelly Center
(campus sexual assault coordinator) that a sexual assault
has occurred. The university will make changes to a student's
academic and living situations after an alleged sex offense,
as long as the victim requests those changes and they are
reasonably available. A report of the incident will be filed
in the Kelly Center and a copy of all documents associated
with it forwarded to the Assistant Vice President for Student
Affairs in charge of campus judicial procedures in the Office
of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
B. Administrative Review
Procedures
The Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs will follow
the procedures described under the section "Student
Discipline," found later in this handbook.