Rights of Complainant & Respondent

Rights of a Student Reporting Sexual Misconduct/Violence:

If you are a student reporting sexual misconduct, Goshen College strives to provide you with the following:

You will be treated with dignity, courtesy, and professionalism.
Your report will be promptly and equitably addressed.
Your report will be private, meaning that Title IX personnel may not disclose information about the reported incident to others without your permission, except in emergency situations where there is an immediate threat to you or others.
You will receive a timely response (two business days) to your report from the Title IX deputy coordinator, who will invite you to meet to review resources, extend support and accommodations, and consider options for addressing your situation and preventing it from happening again.
You may accept or decline the invitation for further information, with the understanding that a meeting is required to receive support and accommodations.
You may have another person present to support you when making a report and when participating in the resolution of your report. You may also choose a Goshen College advisor by contacting the Title IX coordinator Joe Springer (joeas@goshen.edu or 574.535.7421).
You will have access information about available resources, including medical care, law enforcement, counseling or other mental health services, and spiritual guidance and support the the Sexual Harassment and Assault web pages, posted information, campus presentations, and online education. You may ask Goshen College staff to assist you in utilizing these resources at any time.
You may request appropriate accommodations to your living, working, or academic circumstances following a report so that you can safely participate in education programs and activities. Accommodations may include: for an employee, modification of assignment, supervision, or location; for a student, change in residence hall, course reassignment, or rescheduling of assignments.
You will be advised of procedures for filing a formal complaint and your options for informal or formal resolution of the reported situation.
Any information provided for accommodations or formal complaint processes will be private, meaning will only be shared with a limited circle of employees who “need to know” in order to assist in the active review, investigation, or resolution of a report.
You will be given sufficient time to prepare for any meetings related to your report, accommodations, or resolution processes.
You may bring an advisor of your choice to any meeting and can request that the college appoint a trained advisor to assist you with the process.
In a formal resolution process, you may submit evidence and refer witnesses to the investigator handling your complaint.
You will have access to all evidence and documentation involved in an investigation process.
Goshen College will protect you from any retaliation for submitting your report.
You will be informed of the outcome of the investigation of your report.

Rights of a Person Against Whom a Report of Sexual Misconduct/Violence Has Been Made:

If you are a person against whom a report of sexual misconduct has been made, Goshen College strives to provide you with the following:

You will be treated with dignity, courtesy, and professionalism.
Upon receiving a formal complaint requesting resolution, the Title IX deputy coordinator will send you a Notice of Allegation and request a meeting to discuss the allegation, inform you of the resolution procedures, and review resources and support available as the respondent or alleged offender.
You will be considered innocent of the allegations until you accept responsibility or until a formal grievance process completes an investigation and adjudication.
You may have another person present to support you when making a report and when participating in the resolution of your report. You may also choose a Goshen College advisor by contacting the Title IX coordinator Joe Springer (joeas@goshen.edu or 574.535.7421).
Any information provided for accommodations or formal complaint processes will be private, meaning will only be shared with a limited circle of employees who “need to know” in order to assist in the active review, investigation, or resolution of a report.
You will have access information about available resources, including medical care, law enforcement, counseling or other mental health services, and spiritual guidance and support the the Sexual Harassment and Assault web pages, posted information, campus presentations, and online education. You may ask Goshen College staff to assist you in utilizing these resources at any time.
You may request appropriate accommodations to your living, working, or academic circumstances following a report so that you can safely participate in education programs and activities. Accommodations may include: for an employee, modification of assignment, supervision, or location; for a student, change in residence hall, course reassignment, or rescheduling of assignments.
You will be given sufficient time to prepare for any meetings related to your report, accommodations, or resolution processes.
You may bring an advisor of your choice to any meeting and can request that the college appoint a trained advisor to assist you with the process.
All grievance processes will be promptly and equitably addressed.
In a formal resolution process, you may submit evidence and refer witnesses to the investigator handling your complaint.
You will have access to all evidence and documentation involved in an investigation process.
Goshen College will protect you from any retaliation for participating in a grievance process.
You will be informed of the outcome of the investigation of your report.

For questions about the Title IX process, please contact the Title IX Coordinator Joe Springer (joeas@goshen.edu or 574-535-7421) or Title IX Deputy Coordinator Aja Ellington (aellington@goshen.edu or 574-535-7485).