FAQs about University Options

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Yes. You do not have to provide details about the incident or participate in a university investigation to receive support services. We want to support survivors, and we will respect a complainant's decision to share, or not share, any additional information about the incident.

You have several possible options to prevent the alleged offender from contacting you. If the alleged offender is another student, you can contact the Office for Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR) at (217) 333-3680 (8:30 am–5:00 pm, Monday–Friday) to discuss your concerns and your options for obtaining a directive from OSCR that the alleged offender have no contact with you.

You can also apply through the courts for an order of protection or restraining order to keep the alleged offender from contacting you. If the alleged offender violates a court order, punishments can include arrest and jail time. You may be eligible for these orders without filing a formal police report. To obtain an order of protection, you can ask your attorney to file for an order in civil court; request an order with your divorce; request an order during a criminal trial for abuse; go to the Champaign County Circuit Clerk's office and ask for the papers to seek an order of protection for yourself; or contact the Women's Resources Center or Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services (R.A.C.E.S.) to ask for assistance in completing the forms.

If you obtain an order of protection from an Illinois court or in any other state, you should provide a copy of the order to the University Police and the Title IX Coordinator. You may meet with the University Police to develop a Safety Action Plan, which helps the University Police and the survivor reduce the risk of harm while on or leaving campus.

If you live in the same residence hall as the alleged offender and would like to discuss alternative housing accommodations, you may contact housing staff in your residence hall (such as your Resident Director) to discuss those alternatives.

You have options for academic accommodations. You have the right to reasonable academic accommodations following any form of sex-based misconduct. These academic accommodations may include a change in class schedule, deadline extensions, or withdrawal from a class without penalty. To discuss these options, contact the Title IX Office by calling (217) 333-3333 or emailing titleixcoordinator@illinois.edu.

If the alleged offender is not affiliated with the University of Illinois, the university's response to a report of sex-based misconduct will focus primarily on providing support to the survivor. Depending on what the survivor wants, we can discuss options for pursuing actions against an alleged offender. If the university becomes aware that a community member poses a threat to the campus community, the university may take specific action to protect the campus community.

Yes. The university assists students who have experienced sex-based misconduct on or off campus, including while participating in an off-campus program. If the alleged offender was another University of Illinois student or employee, that individual may still be subject to the campus Sex-Based Misconduct Policy for conduct occurring on or off-campus. The Title IX Office or a Confidential Advisor can discuss with you whether the incident would fall under university jurisdiction and connect you with resources and support. The Office of Student Conflict Resolution may investigate allegations involving student respondents and determine the appropriate sanction under appropriate procedures. The Office for Access & Equity may investigate allegations involving employee respondents. We encourage students to report all incidents of sex-based misconduct whether they occur on or off-campus, including in study abroad or other off-campus programs. Additional information about assistance while studying abroad can be found at International Safety & Security's Safety and Wellness Tips page.

If you are over the age of 18, you have the right to choose if you want to press criminal charges. You have the right to choose not to participate in the university's investigation or provide any additional information. If the survivor chooses not to provide information or participate in the university's investigation, this may limit the university's ability to fully respond to the incident. In most cases, it is unlikely that the investigation will continue. However, if the Title IX Coordinator determines that the safety of the campus community requires a full investigation of the incident, then the university has an obligation to proceed without the cooperation of the survivor in order to protect the safety of the campus community. The university will inform the survivor of this decision.