FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Title IX

The decision to report incidents of sexual harassment or misconduct rests with the person who experienced the harassment. If you wish to speak with someone without making a report, you can contact a Confidential Advisor at the Student Health and Wellness Center or a representative from Resilience who can discuss reporting options with you. Please visit the resources page to explore additional options that may fit your needs. You may also report sexual harassment to the university via its Incident Reporting Form. More information on reporting options can be found on the Title IX website

If you are unsure if what you experienced constitutes sexual harassment, you can always speak confidentially with a Confidential Advisor. If you wish to speak to a university official about the sexual misconduct policy, you may contact either the Title IX Office (titleix@iit.edu) or the Office of Student Affairs (dos@iit.edu). The Offices of Title IX Compliance and Student Affairs can explain your options, the Title IX processes, and offer supportive measures without taking action.

The Title IX coordinator will contact you to discuss the report and offer supportive measures. Supportive measures are customizable and aim to restore educational access after any report of sexual harassment. Supportive measures are confidential and can include academic accommodations, workplace accommodations, housing changes, and more. Additionally, the Title IX Coordinator will explain options for filing a Formal Title IX complaint and the formal and informal resolution processes. You do not need to file a complaint to receive supportive measures.

A Formal Title IX Complaint is a signed written document requesting Illinois Institute of Technology to take action to address alleged sexual harassment. A signed Formal Title IX Complaint is needed to pursue either a formal or informal resolution. The decision to file a Formal Title IX Complaint rests with the individual who reported sexual harassment.

Yes, the respondent (the person named in the report) will be made aware of allegations made against them.

Yes, Illinois Institute of Technology policy and applicable laws prohibit retaliation in any form. Illinois Tech will take immediate and responsive action against reports of retaliation.

If you are named in a Formal Title IX Complaint as alleging to have directed sexual harassment toward another person, you will be contacted by the Title IX coordinator. The Title IX coordinator will explain the allegations and your rights and options, assist you in navigating the resolution process, and will connect you to supportive resources.

We will move as quickly and deliberately as possible and in accordance with applicable law to resolve any Formal Title IX Complaints of sexual harassment. The time frame is dependent on the resolution type (eg. formal versus informal resolution). You will receive updates as to the status of the complaint throughout the resolution process.

Illinois Institute of Technology is committed to treating all individuals with dignity, care, and respect. Any student affected by sexual harassment or misconduct will have equal access to support and counseling services through the Student Health and Wellness Center. We encourage Illinois Tech community members to seek the support of campus and community resources; The Title IX Office can help connect you to additional options for counseling, medical, legal, and immigration resources.

Frequently Asked Questions for Responsible Employees or Officials with Authority

Any employee who has significant responsibility for students and campus activities in their role is designated as a responsible employee. In an effort to connect students to Title IX reporting options and supportive resources, a responsible employee should report any instances of potential sexual misconduct. Under Title IX, responsible employees and officials with authority have an obligation to immediately report any information they come to learn regarding suspected sexual harassment or misconduct and cannot agree to maintain privacy or confidentiality regarding these matters. For a comprehensive list of responsible employees, see the Student Handbook, page 72. If you are unsure about who has reporting responsibilities, please contact the Title IX coordinator.

An official with authority is an employee who is designated by Illinois Institute of Technology to have authority to institute corrective measures on behalf of the institution. Those individuals include:

President, provost, vice presidents, and those designated to serve in the role of associate or assistant vice president/provost
Title IX coordinator and assistant Title IX coordinators
Academic deans
Department chairs
Student affairs and residential life directors
Athletic director
Director and assistant directors of public safety

If a student discloses a possible sexual harassment, some best practices are:

Thank them for telling you
Normalize their feelings
Mirror their language
Tell students you are a responsible employee
Offer options for a confidential advisor
Tell the student you may need to report the disclosure
Avoid promising outcomes
Set expectations for next steps
Submit an Incident Report or contact the Title IX office

Disclosing sexual assault can be very difficult, and its important to be kind and empathetic while also setting expectations about your reporting responsibilities. By informing students of your reporting responsibilities and offering options for a confidential advisor, you can help them make an informed decision on how they want to proceed and help them maintain agency over the situation.

If a student proceeds to disclose potential sexual harassment or misconduct, a responsible employee or official with authority should promptly report the incident to the university. You can either report directly to Title IX Coordinator Virginia Foster at foster@iit.edu, or by submitting an incident report online. Please provide as much detail as possible; however, it is not your role to further investigate the incident. You should not be asking the student for more information than they already volunteered to you. After you report the incident, you will likely not receive updates on the situation from the Title IX office; this is to protect the confidentiality of the student.

You should still report the incident. Some students intend to report and then face barriers in doing so. It is better to have duplicate reports rather than an incident go unreported.

Yes. Similar to the way you include a statement on disability and access in your syllabus, you can include a statement on sexual harassment. Faculty interested in including a statement on sexual harassment prohibition may contact Title IX Coordinator Virginia Foster at foster@iit.edu.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Title IX

Frequently Asked Questions for Responsible Employees or Officials with Authority

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