The University of Montana strives to make the campus a safe and supportive environment that fosters learning, personal growth, and the fulfillment of dreams. All forms of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, interfere with this mission. Furthermore, sexual harassment, including sexual assault, is a form of prohibited discrimination.
When the University learns of sexual misconduct it will take immediate and appropriate action to determine what occurred. It will take prompt and effective steps to end sexual misconduct, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects, whether or not the sexual misconduct is the subject of a criminal investigation. The University will take steps to protect a complainant as necessary, including interim steps prior to the outcome of any investigation. Retaliation against anyone reporting sexual misconduct or otherwise providing information about sexual misconduct is strictly prohibited.
Sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and rape are crimes. Crime reports should be made to the UM Office of Public Safety or local law enforcement (911). University students, whether or not they report an assault to local law enforcement, have the right to continue to pursue their education in an environment free from the effects of sexual violence, including any ongoing harassment. For this reason, students are encouraged to report instances of sexual harassment and sexual assault to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action or the Dean of Students so measures can be taken to stop any ongoing harassment, prevent future harassment, and address the effects of sexual harassment. Reporting and all follow-up activity will be handled in a manner that protects the privacy and confidentiality of students.
Survivors may seek assistance from caring campus employees, including faculty, staff, residence hall assistants, advisors, and others whom they know. In order to ensure that the University does everything possible to provide assistance to survivors and stop sexual harassment, University employees are required to report information they receive about allegations of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator. At the request of a survivor, employees may withhold the survivor’s name. However, the University is limited in its ability to effectively respond without full information.
Below are descriptions of resources to assist students in making their choices about reporting instances of sexual misconduct. For more detailed information about each of the resources listed below, please see: www.missoula911.com.
|
Information & Support |
Counseling |
Informal Remedies* |
Formal Complaints* |
Confidentiality |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Student Assault Resource Center |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Strictly |
|
First STEP Resource Center |
✔ |
|
|
|
Strictly |
|
Information & Support |
Counseling |
Informal Remedies* |
Formal Complaints* |
Confidentiality |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Missoula City Police |
✔ |
|
|
✔ |
Confidential according to state law |
|
Office of Public Safety |
✔ |
✔ |
Confidential according to state law |
|
Information & Support |
Counseling |
Informal Remedies* |
Formal Complaints* |
Confidentiality |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Title IX Coordinator - Lucy France |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Mostly confidential |
|
|
Dean of Students - Rhondie Voorhees |
✔ |
✔ |
✔ |
Mostly confidential |
|
Information & Support |
Counseling |
Informal Remedies* |
Formal Complaints* |
Confidentiality |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Curry Health Center |
✔ |
Strictly confidential |
|||
|
Counseling & Psychological Services |
✔ |
✔ |
Strictly |
||
|
YWCA Pathways |
✔ |
✔ |
|
|
Strictly |
|
Crime Victim Advocate Program |
✔ |
|
✔ |
✔ |
Mostly confidential |
Examples of informal remedies may include: shielding a student from ongoing contact with an individual; issuing an administrative no-contact order; assigning an individual to a different lab or other clinical setting; asking an administrative authority to speak to the individual to express serious concern about a behavior; reminding the individual of policies and definitions relating to sexual misconduct; offering counseling targeted to addressing sexual aggression; and reorganizing housing assignments so that students can feel safer. Informal remedies do not preclude formal discipline.
Bringing a formal complaint will lead to an investigation and possibly a hearing, and can result in punitive outcomes. Filing a complaint is often the best way to seek protection from future harm. The student bringing the complaint retains considerable control, although not total, as the process unfolds.
These conversations are all confidential and can be anonymous. Except in rare, extreme circumstances, nothing will be shared without your explicit permission.
These conversations are kept as confidential as possible, but information about incidents of sexual misconduct must be shared with relevant administrators, the Title IX Coordinator, and in some cases law enforcement, so that action can be taken if necessary for reasons of safety. In planning any response, the wishes of the person reporting are given full consideration.
Exploratory conversations are confidential. Police reports with personally identifiable information removed may be available to the public upon request.
