Guilford College

I think I’ve experienced sexual assault or rape — what should I do now?

The first thing we want you to do is take care of yourself. Make sure that you are in a safe place. If you feel that you are in imminent danger, please call 911.

What if I need medical attention?

During regular business hours you can go to Guilford’s Student Health Center for a physical exam and pregnancy testing. After hours, medical care is available at both Moses Cone and Wesley Long hospitals. If requested, a rape kit can be administered at the hospital by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (S.A.N.E.) who has received special training. This exam is entirely optional. The exams are done in private rooms and you should plan to take along a change of clothing.

What else should I do right away?

In the aftermath of any trauma, it can be very difficult to think through what the next steps should be. For help with making these decisions, such as whether to report the assault, whether to seek medical attention, etc, you may contact the campus Counseling Center or Family Services of the Piedmont’s Rape Crisis line (336-273-7273). Ongoing counseling related to the assault will be available through the Counseling Center on campus for traditional students or at Family Services for CCE students.

I don’t have a car – how can I get to the hospital?

There are several choices — you can ask a friend to drive you or you can ask Public Safety or the Student Health and Counseling Center to call a taxi. With either Public Safety or the Student Health Center, you will need to give your name and a brief reason why you need the transportation. You will not need cash to pay for the taxi service — if you disclose your reason for requesting transportation to the advocate or a Student Health nurse, you will not be charged on your student bill by the college. You can also call the taxi on your own and bring the receipt up to Sandy Bowles, x2297 for reimbursement from the college.

Will the charges for services appear on my parent’s insurance bill?

• Student Health Center: Physical exam and pregnancy testing are free and will not appear on your student bill.
• Guilford Counseling Center: There is no charge for counseling (available for traditional students) or for referral to community resources (available to CCE students).
  Urgent Care: The billing is detailed. Urgent Care will take Guilford insurance but you will need to pay a co-pay.
• Moses Cone and Wesley Long hospitals: There is state funding to cover the cost of a forensic exam (rape kit). Speak to your nurse or doctor about billing for any other services.
• Planned Parenthood (1704 Battleground, 336-373-0678): An anonymous source of STD and pregnancy testing. Some fees apply and there is no insurance record.
• Guilford County Health Department (110 E. Wendover, 336-641-7777): Another anonymous source of STD and pregnancy testing. Some fees apply and there is no insurance record.

I think I want to speak with a counselor about what happened. Where should I go for counseling services?

• On campus: The Guilford College Counseling Center is available for counseling traditional students and for helping to refer CCE students to off-campus resources.
• Off-campus: If you would prefer to seek counseling off-campus, the staff of the counseling center can refer you to off-campus resources. Family Services of the Piedmont offers counseling on a sliding scale depending on income and insurance. To make an appointment, call 336-387-6161.

What about reporting the incident to the authorities?

You have the option of reporting the assault to the police. Guilford’s Public Safety officers can help with that process. Advocates through Family Services (336-273-7273) can also help you with this. If the accused person is also a Guilford student you have the option of reporting to the College.

What should I do about telling someone at the College?

The Counseling Center staff can help you decide if you would like to report the incident to the college. They can give you all the information you need and help you think through your options. Call 336-316-2163 to speak with a counselor.

If the person I believe is responsible for my assault is also a Guilford student, do I have to report right away for the College’s judicial process to occur?

The College will not take action on your behalf until you indicate that is what you would like to have happen. There is no statute of limitations for reporting an incident of sexual assault on campus, so you can report immediately or take some time to consider the options you have. Once you decide to disclose details about the incident (including the accused student’s name), the College has seven days to notify the accused student of charges.

Is there a way I can tell the College about the incident without saying any names?

Yes there is. The anonymous reporting form can be found online by clicking the Anonymous Sexual Assault Reporting Form. Just complete the form and the college will be notified that something happened. There is space at the end for you to let us know if you want someone to contact you, but that is entirely optional.

What will happen to the other student if I tell someone at the College?

Once the College is aware that an incident occurred and names have been released, staff members from the Office for Campus Life will follow up with the accused student and investigate the case. This may mean getting statements from any students involved or witnesses, including the accused and reporting students. Once an investigation has occurred, the College will work with you to determine the next steps.

What are the next steps?

As a reporting student, Campus Life staff members will work with you to assist you in determining what you would like to happen next. Staff members from the Office for Campus Life will investigate the incident further. This may include speaking with additional witnesses. There are three possibilities: a judicial hearing, mediation or a “structured meeting.” Both the accuser and the accused are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present during any disciplinary hearing.

• Judicial hearing: During a judicial hearing, the accused student meets with a Guilford College staff member. The staff member will look at statements made during the investigation, may investigate further and will assign sanctions to the accused student. The hearing officer will take into account requests that you may have for sanctions but will make the final determinations. If the accused student disputes the facts or claims to be not responsible, the case may go before the Judicial Board (see next question). The process for appealing the outcome of judicial hearings is outlined on page 48 of the Guilford College Student Handbook.
• Mediation: In a mediation the parties meet under the care of Campus Life and CRRC staff for a conversation to resolve the incident that has occurred and repair any harm done. There are no sanctions with mediation, but there can be informal agreements that arise out of the process. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of mediation, you may still request a hearing or a structured meeting.
• Structured meeting: During a structured meeting, all parties involved meet with Campus Life staff members to resolve the issues. There are no formal sanctions with a structured meeting, but there may be agreements that arise out of the process. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of a structured meeting, you can still request a hearing or mediation.

Both the accuser and the accused will be informed of the school’s final determination of any school disciplinary proceeding with respect to the alleged sex offense and any sanction that is imposed against the accused.

REMEMBER: The next steps are guided by you, the reporting student. Counselors can assist you in determining what next steps you would like to have the college take.

Will you automatically tell my family?

The only time we will inform a family of an incident of sexual assault is when one or more parties are in serious danger or life-threatening situation. We do encourage you to let your family know what has happened if you feel comfortable doing so. It can be important to have as much support around you as possible. The Advocates or counselors on campus can help you think through how to do this if you need assistance.

Why should I choose to report an incident of sexual assault to the college?

While we very much respect whatever choices reporting students make, there are several important reasons for letting the College know or making an “official” report. If we know who the accused student is, we can issue a “no-contact” order, we can assist the reporting student to find other housing if needed, we can assist with making changes in class schedule and communicating with faculty if need be. In short, we can be of more assistance in helping reporting students get the help they need. If the accused student is someone who has repeatedly exhibited inappropriate behavior, providing the College with the student’s name allows staff to work with the student to stop the behavior.

What is a no-contact order?

A “no-contact” order is intended to give you space and help you feel safe. When such an order is signed, the parties agree to have no contact with each other. This includes email, voice mail, verbal contact, IM, third party contact, Facebook contact and written contact. The order will be in place for a period of time determined by the reporting student and Campus Life staff at the time of signing. At the end of this period of time, the College will inquire whether the reporting student would like the order to remain in effect.

I was drunk when the sexual assault happened — if I tell the college will I get in trouble for drinking?

No. The College will not charge reporting students with violation of alcohol or drug policies if such violations occurred in conjunction with an incident of sexual assault.

I’m confused about what “giving consent” means — can you clarify that for me?

The Guilford College definition of consent is shared permission for sexual activity. Students have the responsibility to ensure that all sexual interaction occurs only with mutual consent. If consent is given for one sexual act, it does not mean that consent is given for all future acts. Students must confirm that mutual consent is given for all sexual acts within a sexual interaction. A student can withdraw consent at any given time during a sexual encounter. Non-communication is not consent. Consent can only be given when a student is able to freely make an informed choice between two options: yes and no. Consent cannot be given if someone is asleep, unconscious, coerced, threatened, intimidated or forced, under the age of 16, or impaired by alcohol/drugs. A previous or current sexual relationship between the parties may not be taken as an indication of consent.

I want to look at the North Carolina sexual assault law — where can I find information?

The location for up-to-date information on state law is:
http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_14.html

What can I do to keep myself safe or prevent sexual assault from happening to me?

There are several things you can do to keep yourself as safe as possible. One of the biggest sources of potential harm comes when students open residence hall doors for people they do not know, allow people they do not know to enter a residence hall behind them, or leave doors propped open. Make sure you lock your door at all times. Whenever you are walking anywhere at night, make sure you have a companion. You can always call Public Safety for an escort (x2911). Stay in well-lit areas at night. Use a buddy system for attending parties — make sure someone else always knows where you are and who you are with. If you know you may be consuming alcohol, make sure you accept only beverages from closed containers and keep your drink with you so you can be assured nothing has been added without your knowledge. Over consumption of alcohol puts women, in particular, at risk of “blackouts.” During a blackout, a person will continue to function as if things were normal, but there will be no memory of the events that occur.

What kinds of educational programs promoting the awareness of rape, acquaintance rape and other forcible and non-forcible sex offenses are offered on campus?

Programs promoting awareness of the issues and offering educational opportunities to students are on-going throughout the year. Presentations during First Year Orientation, campus-wide distribution of informational wallet cards, offering RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) classes, and a variety of programs through the Residence Life staff all contribute to these efforts. Additionally, there are currently active men’s and women’s groups on campus addressing the issues. The College has partnered with staff from Family Services of the Piedmont in offering sexual assault response training to students, faculty and staff.

How do I get involved?

Contact Gaither Terrell in the Counseling Center for information on how to get involved (336-316-2163).

Don’t wait for an assault to happen to you or to someone you care about before you learn how to respond. Educate yourself, check out some of the links on the website, read the student handbook, attend the sexual assault prevention programs offered every year on campus or meet with a member of the Campus Life staff. We are here to help.