UMatter: Student Support & Advocacy‘s Respondent Services provides support and resources for students responding to Title IX or Sexual Misconduct accusations. The goal of our office is to provide a variety of supports that ensure students stay on track academically, as well as support that assists the student with personal growth across the lifespan.
Being accused of sexual misconduct of any kind can have a variety of negative consequences, including mental stress, social disruption, safety concerns, public embarrassment, distrust of others, confusion, guilt/shame, anger, fear for the future, and impact your academic goals. Our office is committed to assisting you with mitigating those consequences and supporting you through the process.
Because Respondent Services is an independent and unbiased resource, it is not necessary for a respondent to share any details of the incident in question in order to receive services.
For more extensive information, please read the official Title IX and/or Sexual Misconduct policies.
What is a respondent?
A Respondent is someone alleged to have been involved in an incident that violates either Title IX or the Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Misconduct policy. Respondents have been accused by another person of alleged prohibited conduct including:
- Sexual assault
- Interpersonal violence
- Stalking
- Sexual harassment
- Sex discrimination
- Sexual exploitation
- Unprofessional or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature
If you have been accused, you can visit UMSAFE for answers to common questions related to the process and your rights as a respondent.
A case manager can be helpful when you need assistance…
- Understanding your rights as a respondent
- Clarifying policies, procedures, or other processes related to sexual misconduct and Title IX cases
- Making adjustments due to supportive measures
- Managing stress and emotions during and after an investigation
- Requesting academic support, such as email notices sent to faculty requesting reasonable accommodations
- Understanding sanctions and adjusting academic or personal plans
- Assistance with contacting University housing or landlords about separation requirements
- Requesting a “No-Contact Order”‘
- Connecting to other campus or community resources
- Navigating any other challenges that arise as a result of the accusation
- Requesting course load reductions or full withdrawals
- Safety planning
- Securing basic needs, such as food or short-term emergency housing accommodations/housing changes
Confidentiality and Privacy
UMatter Case Managers are confidential service providers. Our case managers will not share any identifiable information with the police, your family/parents, or anyone else without your permission first. Exceptions to that rule include cases where there is a concern of imminent harm to yourself, someone else, or the campus community.
While maintaining confidentiality, employees, and staff within the UMatter: Student Support and Advocacy Office must report the nature, date, and general location of an incident to the Title IX Coordinator, along with a list of any supportive measures that were provided. This limited report – which includes no information that would directly or indirectly identify the student – helps keep the Title IX Coordinator informed of the general extent and nature of the alleged sexual violence on and off-campus so the Coordinator can track patterns, evaluate the scope of the problem, if any, and formulate appropriate campus-wide responses, if necessary. This limited report also helps ensure that the University is in compliance with Title IX.”
Safety
If you feel you are in immediate danger of harm by another person or yourself, call 911. It is important that physical and emotional needs are met first. For mental health crisis support, please click here to learn about your options.