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Campus Sexual Assault Policy

The College prohibits and will not tolerate an act of sexual assault by an employee, student, or participant in a College sponsored program, or by any individual present on the College's premises. For the purposes of this Policy, the College's premises include any property that it owns or leases or that it has permission to occupy for the purposes of conducting a College sponsored program. 

Sexual Assault is defined as nonconsensual, physical contact of a sexual nature, whether with a member of the same gender or the opposite gender.

Response Procedures

When a member of the Hood College community calls the Communication Center and reports that they have been sexually assaulted.

a.) The communications officer must remain calm and gather all pertinent information. Copious notes are a must. Keep the victim on the phone and dispatch a Campus Safety officer. What is the victim's name? Where is the victim now? Is the person still in the area? What is the physical description of the person? What were they wearing? What direction did they travel? Did they have a car? What kind of car? What color was the car? If there is a female officer on-duty this officer should be the initial contact. If there are two officers on duty, one can assist the victim, the other can try to apprehend the person.

b.) The communications officer receiving the call should also advise the RSP (Resident Support Person) of the incident and ask them to respond. If the victim is a commuter, staff, or faculty the health center should also be notified. (The CIRT Team, (Critical Incident Response Team), should also be activated as early as possible.

c.) It is important that the victim have one person to assist them. They will meet many people as they go through the initial interviews relating to criminal proceedings and they will need the support of this person.

The victim should be advised of her/his rights:

• To notify the appropriate law enforcement authorities, including the Campus Safety office
  and the local police.
• Her/his right to file criminal charges with the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
• The importance of preserving evidence necessary to the proof of criminal sexual offense and prompt notification of law enforcement authorities.
• The Department of Campus Safety will escort the student to Frederick Memorial Hospital to be examined by emergency room staff and to collect evidence with the Maryland State Police sexual Offense collection kit.
• The victim has the option to change her/his academic situation if such a change is reasonably
  available.
  

The College provides counseling, mental health, and student services which are available to victims of
sexual assault. To utilize or learn more about these services, students may contact the Vice President of
Student Life and the Dean of Students. The following are some resources available, although some are not
directly connected with the College.

Campus Safety - (301) 696-3548
Health Center - (301) 696-3439
Heartly House - (301) 662-8800
Frederick Memorial Hospital- (301) 698-3300