If you are experiencing an emergency or an immediate threat, contact Campus Patrol at 801.832.2525 or call 911 directly. If you need additional emergency assistance, call or text the Title IX office at 801.633.2096.


There is no time limit for reporting prohibited conduct to the university, and reporting an incident does not necessarily mean that an investigation will be pursued. There is also no time limit for requesting an investigation.

To encourage the reporting of prohibited conduct, the university will not pursue disciplinary action for disclosing illegal personal consumption of drugs or alcohol where such disclosures are made in connection with a good-faith report or investigation of prohibited conduct.

Title IX Office Procedures

After you make a report, the Title IX Office will reach out to you to make sure you feel safe and know about resources. They will offer to meet with you to talk about supportive measures and your options, including an investigation, if appropriate. You don’t have to respond to the Title IX Office if you don’t want to, but you are encouraged to do so.

The university won’t contact law enforcement after receiving a report of prohibited conduct. However, the university will help you get in touch with law enforcement if you wish. By reporting a crime to law enforcement, you may be able to obtain a protective order. Westminster has limited ability to protect you off campus.

After reporting, you cannot be intimidated or harassed for making a good-faith report of prohibited conduct or participating in a proceeding. This is retaliation, and you should let the Title IX Office know if you feel you are being retaliated against, whether you are a reporting party, respondent, or witness.

Investigations

After reporting, you never have to pursue an investigation unless you choose to. However, in rare cases, the university may need to proceed with an investigation to ensure the broader campus community’s safety. In that case, you are not required to participate in the investigation, but this could limit the university’s ability to take corrective action.

You do not have to pursue an investigation to receive help. Reporting parties are entitled to supportive measures and resources regardless of whether they pursue an investigation. Examples of supportive measures are changes in housing, adjustment to class or work schedules, extensions on assignments, or rescheduling exams. You can request supportive measures from the Title IX Office.

If you want to, you can choose not to pursue a university or criminal investigation, to only pursue a university investigation, to only pursue a criminal investigation, or to pursue both. A university investigation is focused on ensuring that you are safe and have equal opportunity to pursue your education and employment. If you seek legal justice, you should report a crime to law enforcement.

The university attempts to complete the investigation within 60 calendar days of the respondent receiving written notice of the investigation. However, this timeframe may need to be adjusted to account for holidays; school breaks; availability of the parties, witnesses, or staff; a concurrent criminal investigation; or the complexity of the case.

Westminster University recognizes the difficulty of working through the Title IX process and believes in supporting all individuals involved in Title IX incidents. You should understand the rights of both parties. Both parties have the right to a prompt, fair, and impartial investigation. Impartial means that the Title IX coordinator and the specially trained investigators are neutral, do not favor one party over the other, and do not make prejudgments. The Title IX coordinator ensures that both parties have a fair process.

Investigation Confidentiality

Investigations cannot always remain confidential. Only the Counseling Center and Student Health Services are confidential resources. The university makes great efforts to ensure that any report or investigation is kept private, meaning that information is only shared with university officials on a need-to-know basis. It is recommended that you do not discuss the investigation with others at the university.

If you have experienced sexual assault or interpersonal violence, the most important thing you can do is get to a safe place. If you believe you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911. Other suggestions include:

Preserve Evidence

Do your best to preserve all evidence, even if you don't know if you want to report the assault or press charges. While this may be difficult, preserving any evidence is important in the event you decide to report the assault to the police. Preserving evidence includes:

  • Avoiding showering/bathing, douching, brushing your teeth, eating, washing your hands, or changing your clothes. If you need to change, put everything you were wearing into a paper bag and take it to your medical exam.
  • Not rearranging or cleaning up anything until you have decided whether or not to file a report If the assault took place in your room or home.
  • Saving electronic evidence such as text messages or emails.
  • Writing down as much as you can remember about the assault, including a description of the assailant.

Call Someone

No matter how late it is, you should not be alone, and many people at Westminster can help and support you. Call a friend, your RA, Campus Patrol (801.832.2525), the Westminster Counseling Center (801.467.7273), or the Title IX Office (801.832.2496).

Seek Medical Attention

It is important to seek medical attention at a local emergency room as soon as possible, ideally within 120 hours (5 days) after sexual assault/interpersonal violence. Even if you have no apparent injuries and you know that you will never file a report, it is important to get medical attention to determine the risks of STDs and pregnancy and receive appropriate prophylaxis medication, if desired. Things to keep in mind include:

  • Hospitals are trained to treat injuries, check for pregnancy and STDs, and collect physical evidence to be used should you choose to report the assault.
  • If done, a rape kit exam should be performed within 5 days of the assault. This can be done at the hospital or the Family Justice Center (24-hour crisis line, 1.855.992.2752). A member of the Rape Recovery Center’s 24-hour Hospital Response team will accompany you during the exam. You can receive this exam whether or not you choose to involve the police. Crime Victim Reparations will cover costs for this exam.
  • Emergency room staff may ask if you would like them to contact the police for you. This is your decision. You do not need to speak to the police if you do not wish to do so.

Document the Incident

Write down as much as you can remember about the assault, including a description of the assailant.

File a Police Report

Deciding to file a police report does not obligate you to follow through with pressing charges, although if a minor is involved, the police will file charges with or without your consent. You may be able to obtain a protective order through criminal processes. You can report the incident to the Salt Lake Police Department at 801.799.3000.

Report the Incident to Campus Patrol

You can report the incident or safety concerns to campus patrol at 801.832.2525. However, note that campus patrol is not law enforcement, and the university's ability to protect you is limited.

Report a Title IX Incident

Fill out Westminster’s Title IX Report Form. There is no time limit for reporting prohibited conduct to the university, and reporting an incident does not necessarily mean that an investigation will be pursued.

Get Support

Get support from someone you trust. Many survivors of sexual assault experience a wide range of emotions following the assault, including shock, anger, self-blame, shame, helplessness, denial, fear, and mood swings, among others. These can occur immediately after an assault or weeks, months, or even years later. Refer to the list of Title IX resources for organizations you can reach out to for support.



About Title IX

Title IX is a federal civil rights law passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. This law protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Title IX states:

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Title IX Office’s Commitment

Westminster’s Title IX Office strives to maintain a safe and healthy educational environment that is free from sexual misconduct and discrimination based on sex, creating and sustaining an educational, living, and working environment that is conducive to learning and is supportive of students and employees. The university is also committed to responding promptly and effectively when it learns of any form of sexual misconduct (including sexual violence) and/or discrimination based on sex.

The Title IX office supports the entire Westminster community in a neutral role, meaning all members of the university community can access Title IX resources. The university complies with all federal and state laws including Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act, and the Clery Act.

Westminster’s Title IX Program

Consistent with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Westminster University does not discriminate against students, faculty, or staff based on sex in any of its programs or activities, including but not limited to educational programs, employment, and admission.

Westminster’s Title IX program is comprehensive and seeks to stop, remedy, and prevent incidents of gender-based discrimination and sexual misconduct. The university seeks to build an equitable culture focused on respect and inclusion for all members of the community. With these goals in mind, the university seeks to build a culture of care and support for individuals who experience sexual misconduct as well as protect the rights of individuals involved in the Title IX process. In order to accomplish this, the university approaches Title IX through a holistic lens focused on:

Policies and Procedures

Title IX policies and procedures apply to all students, faculty, staff, and third-parties. Westminster’s Title IX policy prohibits sexual assault, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, gender-based discrimination, sexual exploitation, interpersonal violence (dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking), retaliation, complicity, and false reporting.

Advocacy

At its core, Title IX is an equity law aimed to prevent discrimination and harassment. Westminster University recognizes the difficulty of working through the Title IX process and believes in supporting all individuals involved in Title IX incidents. Understanding Rights of Parties:

  1. Parties are entitled to an equitable and prompt process free of bias and conflict of interest or material deviation.
  2. Parties are entitled to an advisor of their choice. Parties may solicit their own advisor, or the university will provide one for them.
  3. Parties will be afforded similar and timely access to information that will be used during an informal resolution or formal grievance process. Information pertinent to the process will only be shared between involved parties.
  4. Parties have the right to preservation of privacy, and information will not be disseminated otherwise except as deemed necessary by the Title IX Coordinator. Parties will be given periodic status updates in writing throughout the informal resolution or formal grievance process.
  5. Parties have the right to be notified of available counseling, mental health, medical, or services on campus and in the community.
  6. In a formal grievance process, parties will have equal opportunity to present relevant witnesses and other information during the process as well as engage in cross-examination during the hearing.
  7. In a formal grievance process, parties will be informed of the outcome of the formal grievance process as simultaneously as possible.

Prevention

Consent– Westminster believes in educating community members about affirmative consent as a tenant of a healthy relationship or sexual interaction. Affirmative consent is defined as a knowing, voluntary, and mutual decision among all participants to engage in sexual activity. Affirmative consent contains the following elements:

  • Ongoing: Anyone can change their mind about what they are doing at any time.
  • Freely Given: Saying yes without manipulation or pressure.
  • Specific: Saying yes to one act (i.e. kissing) does not mean you said yes to others (i.e. oral sex).
  • Informed: Not deceiving or lying. For example, if someone says they will use a condom and doesn’t, there isn’t full consent.
  • Enthusiastic: It is about wanting to do something, not feeling like you have to do something.

Watch “Consent: It’s as Simple as Tea” to learn more about consent. Westminster is committed to the education and prevention of sexual misconduct within the campus community.

Required Campus Training

Westminster has a robust primary prevention and ongoing training program with the goal of eliminating sexual and interpersonal violence and providing optimal support in response to it. Title IX training is provided to students, employees, and other designated individuals annually through in-person and digital formats.

Students receive in-person and online training regarding Title IX policies and procedures, prohibited conduct, consent, reporting, investigations, available resources, and supportive measures during orientation. Student groups also receive individualized trainings throughout the academic year (student leadership training, RA training, etc.).

All employees are required to complete training on prohibited conduct, appropriate responses to disclosures, their reporting responsibilities, and resources. Staff and faculty involved with Title IX issues receive additional training on conducting investigations and appeals, providing a trauma-informed response and investigation, and administering the Title IX program in accordance with laws and best practices.

 

Resources

A variety of on-campus and off-campus, confidential and non-confidential support resources are available to complainants, respondents, and witnesses.

All Westminster faculty, staff, and RAs (except the Counseling Center and Student Health Services staff) are required to report potential prohibited conduct to the Title IX coordinator to ensure your safety, well-being, and academic success, as well as the safety of the campus community.

Confidentiality for on-campus resources means the information you provide will not be shared with anyone else on campus without your consent unless required by law.

Resource Phone Number or Email Notes
Westminster Counseling Center 801.832.2465

Description: Students only

Location: Shaw Center lower level

Westminster Student Health Services 801.832.2239

Description: Students only

Location: Shaw Center lower level

Cigna Life Assistance Program (EAP) 800.538.3543 Description: Employee Assistance Program
(full-time employees only)
Family Justice Center (YWCA) 801.537.8600

Description: 24-hour crisis line

Location: 310 East 300 South Second Floor

National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673 Description: 24-hour hotline
Rape Recovery Center 801.467.7273 Location: 2035 South 1300 East
State-wide crisis line 888.421.1100 Description: 24-hour crisis line
Victim-Survivor Advocate (Stephanie Nolasco) wcadvocate@westminsteru.edu  
Resource Phone Number or Email Notes
Dean of Students Office 801.832.2230 Location: Shaw Center lower level
Office of Interfaith and Spirituality 801.832.2232 Location: Shaw Center lower level
Residence Life Staff Members 801.832.2245  

The Victim-Survivor Advocate provides free, confidential, and trauma-informed support services to students who have experienced interpersonal violence (e.g., domestic or dating violence, sexual assault or rape, sexual harassment, stalking).

Westminster believes in empowering you to make informed decisions around your healing and justice. The Victim-Survivor Advocate will assist you in navigating any resources, processes, and services that feel relevant and helpful to you:

  • Education: Be empowered by learning how trauma impacts your life and well-being. The advocate can provide you with information on the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual impacts of trauma and help you explore strategies to address these impacts.
  • Support: If you decide to report your assault to law enforcement or to Westminster’s Title IX Office, the advocate can provide you with information about those reporting processes.
  • Referrals: The advocate can help connect you to campus and community resources, including counseling/mental health support, medical/testing services, and legal/justice services.

For support, contact Stephanie Nolasco at advocate@westminsteru.edu.

Bias Reporting

Sometimes when we experience behavior that is bias, we are unsure if it is a Title IX violation, and that is okay. There are many supports at Westminster to address bias behavior, including the Bias Education and Support team. If you experience bias that you think may be a Title IX violation, you can submit a Title IX Report Form as well as a Bias Report Form.

REPORT BIAS

External Title IX Resources

Contact

If you are experiencing an emergency or an immediate threat, contact Campus Patrol at 801.832.2525 or call 911 directly. To file a Title IX report with Westminster, call or text the Title IX office at 801.633.2096, or fill out the Title IX Reporting Form.

Meet the Staff

Title IX Staff Training