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Auraria Higher Education Center Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration Administrative Policies and Procedures |
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Policy #32 Sexual Assault |
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Approved: February 21, 2007
EVPA Signature:
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Auraria Higher Education Center Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration Administrative Policies and Procedures |
|
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Policy #32 Sexual Assault |
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Approved: February 21, 2007
EVPA Signature:
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Auraria Campus Sexual
Assault Policy This Policy was developed collaboratively by the Auraria Higher Education Center (“Center”) and its constituent institutions—the Community College of Denver, the Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center—for the purpose of implementing provisions of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 U.C.S. § 1092(f), relating to the response of the Auraria Campus Police Department and the constituent institutions to students who are victims of sexual assault. The Auraria Campus is committed to responding appropriately to all reports of sexual assaults and to working collaboratively with other law enforcement and government and community agencies.
In the development of this Policy, the Auraria Campus also collaborated with the Sexual Assault Interagency Council and adhered to the spirit of the Denver Sexual Assault Response Protocol, which was signed by the chief executives of the constituent institutions on November 7, 2005. This Protocol is available online at http://www.denversaic.org.
This Policy provides general guidelines for responding to students of the constituent institutions who are victims of sexual assault on the Auraria Campus or during other institutionally-sponsored activities. For institution-specific procedures and resources, contact the following representatives or campus judicial officers:
II. Policy Statement:
The Center and its constituent institutions prohibit sexual assault, attempted sexual assault and other sexual offenses on property owned or controlled by the Center or its constituent institutions, at institutionally-sponsored or supervised activities, or at functions of recognized student organizations. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Incident Based Reporting System of the Uniform Crime Report defines a sex offense in general as “any sexual act directed against another person, forcibly and/or against the person’s will; or not forcibly or against the person’s will where the victim is incapable of giving consent.”
Penalties for violations of this policy or the internal polices of the Center or its constituent institutions by their employees or students are determined by their specific internal policies and procedures but may include termination or expulsion for instances of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault, and lesser penalties, including suspension, probation and assessment of financial penalties for other offenses, as appropriate.
III. Sexual Assault Prevention on the Auraria Campus:
The Auraria Campus institutions provide ongoing education about sexual assaults and prevention through new student orientation programs that take place during each fall and spring semester, and through scheduled educational programming through campus activities offices. The Auraria Campus Police Department offers sexual assault education and information programs to Auraria Campus students and employees upon request. For Center or institution specific information or literature on sexual assault education and campus response, contact the representatives listed in Section I of this Policy.
IV. Sexual Assaults / Offenses:
V. Options for Student Victim of Sexual Assaults / Other Sexual Offenses:
The victim of an alleged sexual assault, a threatened sexual assault, or other sexual offenses on the Auraria Campus has several options that may be pursued individually or in combination with other options:
1. To get immediate crisis counseling (24 hours a day) contact the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program (RAAP) hotline (303-322-7273).
2. To file criminal charges with the police department. (In this case, the victim will likely be interviewed by police investigators and possibly by government attorneys, and if the case goes to trial, will likely be called to testify in court.)
3. To file a civil lawsuit or restraining order request against the accused. (In this case, the victim may need a private attorney to assist with these options, and the victim will likely be required to give testimony in court.)
4. To file charges against an accused assailant through the Center or institution’s appropriate process. If the victim chooses this option, he or she can expect:
a. To be interviewed by an official designated by the Center or institution, who will develop a written incident statement and explain the complaint and disciplinary process;
b. To be notified whether the charge will result in a hearing following the preliminary review by the Center or institution’s officials;
c. To give testimony and to answer questions about the case before an official or board, the accused and an advocate for the accused, should the charge result in a hearing;
d. To be afforded those rights available to the accused as outlined in the Center or institution’s specific student code of conduct or employment policies;
e. That both the victim and the accused will be informed of the outcome, except when prohibited by law, of any hearing that may take place;
f. That the incident may be referred for criminal prosecution independent of the Center or institution’s internal process.
5. Inform Center or institution officials without filing formal charges. However, the Center or institution may have a legal obligation to investigate the incident and take action against the accused. In that case, the victim can have the same expectations as described in subparagraphs 4.a-f above.
6. Make an anonymous report to a campus official without including student identifiers.
Special notes:
1. Student victims have the option to request adjustments to their academic schedules after a reported sexual assault, if such changes are reasonably available. Each such request will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the student’s institution.
2. Both the accuser and the accused are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present during any disciplinary hearing.
3. Both the accuser and the accused will be informed of the outcome, except when prohibited by law, of any Center or institutional disciplinary proceeding that is brought alleging a sex offense.
VI. Support for Victims:
Students who are victims of sexual offenses have access to various confidential counseling options with staff that are specifically trained in the area of sexual offenses and crisis intervention. Victims of sexual offenses can be seen confidentially through the Health Center at Auraria. During regular business hours, victims should call the Health Center at 303-556-2525 for immediate care or an appointment. After hours, victims should seek immediate assistance from Denver Health Medical Center at 8th and Bannock in Denver. For additional resources, see below or contact the institutional representative listed in Section I.
On the Auraria Campus:
MSCD Counseling Center (for MSCD
Students only—at no charge)
UCDHSC Student & Community Counseling
Center (for UCDHSC students—at no charge; fees may apply to MSCD and CCD
students)
Health Center at Auraria (available to
any student—fees may apply)
MSCD Institute for Women’s Studies &
Services (referrals and community resources)
Local law enforcement agencies:
Denver District Attorney’s Office
Denver Police Department
Community agencies/resources available in the Denver/Metro area:
Colorado Coalition against Sexual
Assault (CCASA)
Denver Center for Crime Victims
Moving to End Sexual Assault (MESA)
(formerly the Boulder County Rape Crisis Team)
Rape Assistance and Awareness Program
(RAAP)
WINGS Foundation (Survivors of
childhood sexual abuse; support groups for men and women. Groups
available for men and women.)
Community specific services/resources:
Anti-Violence Project of Colorado
(gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender)
Asian Pacific Development Center
(Asian American / Pacific Islander)
Denver Indian Health & Family Services
(Native American/ Indigenous)
Domestic Violence Initiative for Women
with Disabilities (Not a shelter)
DOVE, Advocacy Services for Abused
Deaf Women and Children
Servicios De La Raza (Chicano / Mexicano /
Latino & Spanish speaking) |
