Rights and Options Information

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When you have personally experienced incidents that may constitute sex-based misconduct, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign cares and wants you to know the rights and options available to you.

  • You have the right to report (or not report) an incident of sex-based misconduct to the U. of I. or law enforcement or both.

    Law enforcement: If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 911 immediately. For non-emergencies, call Champaign County dispatch at (217) 333-8911 and they will connect you with U. of I., Champaign, or Urbana PD.

    Online: You may report to the university at any time using the online reporting form.

    University of Illinois Title IX Coordinator: Danielle Fleenor can be contacted in person at the Title IX Office, 614 E. Daniel Street, Suite 303, Champaign, IL 61820; by phone at (844) 616-7978; or by email at titleixcoordinator@illinois.edu for any reports of sex-based misconduct. The Title IX Office can meet with you to go over supportive measures, resources, and reporting options available to you and answer any questions you may have about the process.

    Please see I Want to Report an Incident and FAQs about Reporting for additional information.

  • You have the right to request and receive assistance in notifying law enforcement.
  • You have the right to understand your privacy rights if you report sex-based misconduct. You may request that your identity be kept private and/or that U. of I. not investigate your allegations or choose not to file a formal complaint. The Title IX Coordinator, or a designated staff member, will evaluate your request, taking into account your desires, U. of I.’s responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students and employees, and other relevant factors. It is important to understand that if the U. of I. agrees to either of these requests, U. of I.’s ability to respond fully to the incident, including initiating disciplinary action, may be limited. Please note, retaliation against reporters of sex-based misconduct, or retaliation against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Title IX, is prohibited by Title IX and/or U. of I.’s Sex-Based Misconduct Policy.
  • You have the right to use confidential resources. Individuals at these locations are not required to report incidents of sex-based misconduct to law enforcement or to the U. of I.
    • On-campus confidential resources include:
    • Off-campus confidential resources include:
      • Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: (217) 384-4444
      • Courage Connection (Domestic Violence Support Services): (217) 384-4390
    • A more comprehensive list of confidential and non-confidential options is available at:
  • You have the right to request and receive assistance accessing and navigating campus and local health and mental health services, counseling, and advocacy services. If you desire this assistance, you may contact the Title IX Office (217) 333-3333, the Office for Access & Equity (217) 333-0885, or a Confidential Advisor in the Women’s Resources Center (217) 333-3137.
  • You have the right to request supportive measures, including interim protective measures as well as accommodations. The Title IX Office can coordinate interim measures to immediately assist your well-being, including but not limited to changes to academic, living, dining, working, and transportation situations, or no contact options.

    For example, you can request a change in your living arrangements if remaining in your current University Housing assignment makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. You can also request assistance in obtaining a campus-issued and enforced no contact directive, and/or an order of protection or no contact order in State court. If you feel your academics may be impacted by your experience, the Title IX Office can assist you with any academic adjustments you might request, including communicating with your professors if you are experiencing difficulty completing assignments or attending class due to safety or health concerns. If you are an international student who has withdrawn from classes after experiencing an incident of sex-based misconduct, U. of I. can work with International Student and Scholar Services on your behalf to support an active enrollment status to mitigate the impact of the withdrawal on your Visa clearance profile.

    For further information on possible options available to you through the university please see Supportive Measures, Campus Policies & Procedures, and FAQs about University Options.

  • You have the right to file a formal complaint of a violation of U. of I.’s Sex-Based Misconduct Policy (as referred to by § 1-111 or HR-79 of the Campus Administrative Manual for employees) through the Title IX Coordinator, the Office for Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR) for student respondents or the Office for Access & Equity for employee respondents. If you request a formal investigation/file a complaint, and/or if the university concludes an investigation is appropriate so the Title IX Coordinator files the complaint, the investigation and grievance process will be conducted in a prompt, thorough, and timely manner by individuals without a conflict of interest or bias against complainants or respondents generally or a party individually. It will be determined whether the incident meets the definition of Prohibited Conduct under the Sex-Based Misconduct Policy. Parties will be informed once that decision has been made. If the university dismisses a complaint of sex-based misconduct, the university will send written notice of the basis for the dismissal to the complainant. If the dismissal occurs after the respondent has been notified of the allegations, the respondent will also be notified of the dismissal and the basis for the dismissal promptly following notification to the complainant or simultaneously. Any party notified will be offered the ability to appeal the dismissal.

    The Title IX Coordinator, investigators, decision-makers, and any person who facilitates informal resolutions are trained on issues related to sex-based misconduct, the sex-based misconduct policy definitions and scope of the university’s program and activities, the complaint resolution procedures including the grievance process, the meaning and application of the term "relevant," types of impermissible evidence, and how to serve impartially, including avoiding prejudgment of the facts at issue, conflicts of interest, and bias.

    The following summaries of the complaint resolution procedures of the student discipline process and employee grievance process are provided to help you better understand U. of I.’s practices when investigating claims of sex-based misconduct. See Campus Policies & Procedures for procedures involving allegations of Title IX Sexual Harassment that occurred between August 14, 2020 to July 31, 2024.

    Note: If a qualified student or employee with a disability needs reasonable accommodations through either process, please contact: Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) at (217) 333-4603 or disability@illinois.edu (for students) or the AAD Division of the Office for Access & Equity at (217) 333-0885 or accessandequity@illinois.edu (for employees).

    OSCR Discipline Process Summary for Students

    For the complete student conduct process for complaint resolution pertaining to allegations of Sex-Based Misconduct, please see Campus Policies & Procedures for links to the appropriate procedures, both formal and informal. For further information on the student discipline process, please see FAQs about the Student Disciplinary Process, or contact the Office for Student Conflict Resolution at (217) 333-3680.

    During the investigative process, investigators from OSCR meet separately with both the person who is alleged to have experienced conduct that could constitute Sex-Based Misconduct (the "complainant") and the person reported to have engaged in the misconduct (the "respondent"). The investigation consists of gathering relevant information and interviewing witnesses, evaluating that information, providing parties the ability to review and respond to evidence prior to the conclusion of the investigation, and compiling a written investigative report. Parties can have an advisor of choice, who may be, but is not required to be, an attorney, with them at any hearing or meeting during the investigation process or with the Title IX Office.

    A panel of three members of the Subcommittee on Sexual Misconduct, a group of trained faculty, staff, and students, renders a decision after a formal hearing and a thorough review of the investigative report and collected, relevant evidence, both inculpatory and exculpatory, for allegations of Sex-Based Misconduct.

    During sex-based misconduct hearings, each party may have an advisor present of the party’s choice. In the hearing, each party will have the opportunity to have questions posed to other parties or witnesses. The decision-maker will determine if a question is relevant before it is asked of the other party or witness. Both parties will have the opportunity to respond to questions. The parties never personally question each other.

    The standard of proof used to determine whether U. of I.’s Sex-Based Misconduct Policy has been violated is the preponderance of the evidence standard (whether it is more likely than not, based on information gathered and examined, that the policy was violated).

    The anticipated duration of an OSCR Sex-Based Misconduct investigation is approximately 40 business days following notification of the allegations, but the actual duration of each investigation may vary depending on the complexity of the investigation, the severity and extent of the allegations, the number of witnesses, and the possibility of interruption by break periods.

    Throughout the process, both the complainant and the respondent have the right to receive email notification of the allegations, to respond to those allegations, to identify witnesses and provide relevant information, to review and to comment on the results of the investigation within a specified time period, to receive a timely written decision, and to appeal that decision. In addition, both the complainant and the respondent may choose not to answer any question during the investigation.

    For an appeal of a panel's decision, three members of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline will consider the appeal. The complainant and respondent will have the opportunity to request a substitution of panel members if there is a conflict of interest.

    Any student found in violation of the Sex-Based Misconduct Policy will be assigned a formal sanction, ranging from a university reprimand to dismissal from the university. Furthermore, most of these individuals will also be assigned one or more educational sanctions. The university may also restrict a respondent from contacting specific individuals, going to particular campus locations or participating in certain events or organization. A more complete list of actions/outcomes possible in individual student discipline cases can be found on the We Care website. If there is a determination of responsibility against a respondent, remedies to the complainant may also be needed. Information about supportive measures and remedies is also available on the We Care website.

    OAE Discipline Process Summary for Employees

    Information on investigations of employees is available through the Office for Access & Equity. Their procedures for addressing Sex-Based Misconduct Complaints are available in the Campus Policies & Procedures. If a report involves a PreK-12 Student, the Procedures for Addressing Sex-Based Misconduct Involving PreK-12 Students will apply.

    Notice of investigation and allegations is provided to both parties at the beginning of a formal investigation. During the formal investigative process, an OAE Investigator meets separately with both the person who is alleged to have experienced conduct that could constitute Sex-Based Misconduct (the "Complainant") and the person reported to have engaged in the misconduct (the "Respondent"). The investigation consists of gathering relevant information and interviewing witnesses, evaluating that information, providing Parties the ability to review and respond to evidence prior to the conclusion of the investigation, and compiling a written investigative report. Parties can have an advisor of choice, who may be, but is not required to be, an attorney, with them at any hearing or meeting during the investigation process or with the Title IX Office.

    Cases where both Parties are employees will be decided by the Investigator as Decision-Maker. Cases alleging Sex-Based Harassment and involving a student Party will be decided by a Decision-Maker, who is different than the Investigator, after a live hearing. The Decision-Maker in both processes renders a decision after a thorough review of the investigative report and collected, relevant evidence, both inculpatory and exculpatory.

    At the hearing, the Parties may submit cross-examination questions for the other Party and witnesses to the Decision-Maker, who will ask all questions. Neither the Parties nor their Advisors may ask questions directly to the other Party or witness.

    The standard of proof used to determine whether the Sex-Based Misconduct Policy has been violated is the preponderance of the evidence standard (whether it is more likely than not, based on information gathered and examined, that the policy was violated).

    OAE will aim to determine whether the Sex-Based Misconduct Policy was violated within 70 business days for determinations by the Investigator, and 90 business days if a hearing occurs. If there is a delay, OAE will provide written notice of the delay to the Parties, the cause of the delay, and an estimate of the additional time that will be needed as a result. Throughout the process, both Complainant and Respondent have the right to receive email notification of the allegations, to respond to those allegations, to identify witnesses and provide relevant information, to review and to comment on the results of the investigation within a specified time period, to receive a timely written decision, and to appeal that OAE decision.

    Employees found in violation of the Sex-Based Misconduct Policy will have a sanction/corrective action issued through the relevant university unit in consultation with Human Resources. The Decision-Maker will consult with other administrators as appropriate in determining the sanction. Possible sanctions/outcomes for employee Respondents can be found on the We Care website. If there is a determination of responsibility against a Respondent, remedies for the Complainant may also be needed. Information about supportive measures and remedies are also available on the We Care website.

  • University No Contact Directives

    In addition to contacting the Title IX Office, if the alleged offender is a student, you can contact the Office for Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR) at (217) 333-0885 (8:30 am–5 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.

    If the alleged offender is an employee, you can contact the Office for Access & Equity at (217) 333-3680 (8:30 am–5 pm, Monday–Friday) to discuss your concerns and your options for obtaining a no contact directive.

    For more information about University Options, visit FAQs about University Options. The comprehensive University of Illinois Sex-Based Misconduct Policy is available via links at Campus Policies & Procedures and in the Student Code.