FAQs about Reporting

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The campus will support an individual's desire to keep a complaint private, except when that request interferes with the University's obligation to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment. In any case, the University will take steps to protect the individual bringing the complaint and limit disclosure of information to those who have a need to know. Individuals can choose to talk through an incident of sex-based misconduct with a confidential resource before making a report to better understand reporting options.

Per the Title IX Regulations, the University must keep confidential the identity of any individual who has made a report or complaint of sex discrimination, including any individual who has made a report or filed a formal complaint of sex-based harassment, any complainant, any individual who has been reported to be the perpetrator of sex discrimination, any respondent, and any witness, except as may be permitted by the FERPA statute, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, or FERPA regulations, 34 CFR part 99, or as required by law, or to carry out the purposes of 34 CFR part 106, including the conduct of any investigation, hearing, or judicial proceeding arising thereunder.

Confidential resources, like counseling or Confidential Advisors, are not required to report the incident to the police or the University. There are legal protections for the discussions you have with confidential resources. Non-confidential resources, such as professors, academic advisors, resident advisors, coaches, and supervisors, are legally obligated to report incidents of sex-based misconduct to the University Title IX Coordinator in the Title IX Office. Neither type of resource is better than the other. There is no right or wrong way to handle this.

There are several confidential resource options on campus and in the community for individuals who want to maintain confidentiality. On campus, confidential resources include the Counseling Center, McKinley Health Center, and the Women's Resources Center (WRC). The WRC has staff designated as Confidential Advisors, who are the campus’ designated staff members specifically trained and to provide support and advocacy. Those staff members are Gabrielle Schwartz, Associate Director. In the Champaign-Urbana community, Rape Advocacy Counseling & Education Services (RACES) provides confidential counseling and support. For contact information, please see Resources for Students or Resources for Employees.

When the Title IX Coordinator receives a report of sex-based misconduct, a representative from the Title IX Office or their designee will contact the complainant (the individual who is reported to be the victim of sex-based misconduct) to offer to set up a meeting. The complainant is not required to meet with a Title IX Coordinator although the University strongly encourages them to do so. In the meeting, the complainant can share as much or as little information as they want. No matter how much information the complainant shares, meeting with a Title IX Coordinator can be helpful to understand various options for support and available actions. If the complainant wants supportive measures or wants to take further action, a Title IX Coordinator can coordinate those resources and supportive measures and review possible next steps. The complainant may be accompanied by an advisor of their choosing to any university meeting or proceeding relating to an alleged incident of sex-based misconduct, including the intake meeting with the Title IX Office. Visit Confidential Resources – Campus for more information about the confidential advisors in the Women’s Resources Center.

Because the University's primary relationship is with students — not their parents — the University will not inform the parents of either party (the complainant or the respondent) named in a report. However, the University strongly encourages students to inform their parents, especially if the student faces major medical, disciplinary, or academic jeopardy. In extraordinary situations when a student is posing an imminent danger to others, or may be in imminent danger from a peer, the University may elect to enlist the assistance of a parent, guardian, or emergency contact to assist the student in taking steps to support their safety and the safety of others. Please note that in circumstances where a parent or guardian has the legal right to act on the party’s (or other involved individual’s) behalf in the exercise of rights under Title IX (such as if the individual is a minor), the University may need to notify a parent or legal guardian.

You can choose whether to identify the alleged offender or not. If you want the University to pursue a formal complaint through the student or employee disciplinary process, you must name the alleged offender. If you choose not to pursue a formal complaint through the student or employee disciplinary process, you do not need to name the individual. However, you should be aware that failure to name the alleged offender may limit the University's ability to respond comprehensively to the alleged sex-based misconduct.

The University encourages individuals to immediately report incidents of sex-based misconduct, but we recognize that you may be uncertain at first about how to proceed. Although there is no specific time limit, we recommend reporting as soon as possible. If the respondent is no longer subject to the University’s jurisdiction and/or significant time has passed, the ability to investigate, respond, and provide remedies may be more limited or impossible. Faculty and staff (including certain student employees) who are made aware of sex-based misconduct must immediately report the incident to the Title IX Coordinator.

Where a student has experienced sex-based misconduct while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, the University will not pursue disciplinary action against the student for their improper use of such substances. Please review the Medical Amnesty and Survivor Protections, for more information.