Campus Sexual Assault Prevention Programs

Education Programs to Promote Awareness

The Division of Student Affairs creates, supports, and evaluates education and support programs aimed at the eradication of sexual assault and sexual misconduct involving members of the Miami student community. Miami's Office of the Dean of Students serves as the primary source of support for students who experience sexual misconduct or assault. You can expect us to: 1) provide connections to medical and mental health treatment, 2) help you report the offense to the police and inform you of how to pursue disciplinary action, 3) assist you with accessing academic support services, and 4) support you with emotional health and other needs.

You can contact the Office of the Dean of Students by phone at 513-529-1877 or by email at deanofstudents@miamioh.edu. For a full description of support services, see Sexual Offense Protocol.

The Coordinator of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Programs provides leadership and guidance on sexual assault issues for the campus community with the objective of integrating awareness, understanding, and prevention/risk reduction behavior into the daily lives of Miami University students. The Coordinator is responsible for the educational components: campus and community partnerships, and review and development of Miami University sexual assault prevention and response initiatives, including assault prevention covered at Orientation for parents and students before classes begin. Sexual assault/sexual misconduct education will also inform students about the following:

  • Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct Protocol and the University's commitment to enforce it
  • Steps to minimize individual risk of sexual assault
  • Process and responsibility for reporting sexual assault and sexual misconduct offenses
  • Sexual assault and sexual misconduct awareness and resources for students who have been sexually assaulted and accused of sexual assault/sexual misconduct
  • How to be a knowledgeable and supportive peer presence
  • On-going wellness promotion programs that address issues including, but not limited to, sexual health and wellness, drug and alcohol education.

Additionally, the Coordinator serves as a campus liaison for survivors of sexual assault. The Coordinator can be reached at 100 Health Services Center, 513-529-1870. Information on Miami's sexual assault education programs can also be found at www.miamioh.edu/sexualassault.

Miami Police provides presentations to small groups on a variety of safety topics. Police also offer 12-hour Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training to women. The cost is $30, which includes the RAD manual, certificates, and supplies. Call 513-529-2222. You can find a variety of crime prevention tips, ranging from traveling alone to facts concerning Rohypnol, on the police department's website at www.units.miamioh.edu/police/campus-safety/crime-prevention.

The Health Advocates for Wellness Knowledge and Skills (HAWKS) and the Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault (MARS) peer educators provide programs, as do residence hall staff. The Nighttime Door-to-Door escort service on the Oxford campus is provided through Parking and Transportation Services. An escort can be obtained by calling 513-593-2716 from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. Monday through Wednesday and until 4 a.m. the remainder of the week. On the Hamilton and Middletown campuses, Campus Security will provide escorts to parked vehicles.

Sex Offense Procedures (including preservation of evidence and to whom to report)

Miami University encourages students who have been the victim of sexual assault or sexual misconduct to obtain medical attention and file a police report.

Medical Treatment

A person who has been the victim of sexual assault or sexual misconduct is urged to seek appropriate medical evaluation as promptly as possible, ideally within 96 hours of the incident.

For life-threatening conditions, call 911 (9-911 from a campus phone) or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital has a trained sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) who can help.

Medical – Legal Evidence Collection

A person who has experienced sexual assault (particularly rape, forcible oral copulation, or sodomy) or sexual misconduct is encouraged to request collection of medical-legal evidence. Prompt collection of physical evidence is essential should a person later decide to pursue criminal prosecution and/or a civil action. Collection of evidence may involve interaction with police and a police report.

If the sexual assault or sexual misconduct occurred within 96 hours, a free and confidential exam can be administered at local hospitals. The sooner sexual assault or sexual misconduct is reported, the more likely evidence will still be present. “Date Rape” drugs, including rohypnol and GHB, may still be present in the victim’s system and should be tested for if the victim believes he or she may have been drugged. To help preserve evidence, the victim is encouraged to put any soiled clothes in a paper (not plastic) bag, and to refrain from the following:

  • Bathing or douching
  • Urinating
  • Drinking any liquids
  • (If oral contact has occurred)—smoking, eating, or brushing teeth

Questions about evidence collection can be directed to Butler County Rape Crisis Program at 513-381-5610 or toll-free, 877-889-5610, or the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner at McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital.

Notify Police; University's Assistance in Notification

Emergency assistance can be obtained anywhere by dialing 911. On the Oxford campus, reports should be made to the University Police (513-529-2222), while off-campus incidents should be reported to the Oxford Police (513-523-4321). On the Middletown campus and Greentree Health Science Academy, reports should be made to the Middletown Police (513-425-7700), on the Hamilton campus, reports should be made to the Hamilton Police (513-868-5811), at the Voice of America Learning Center, reports should be made to the West Chester Police (513-777-2231), and on the Luxembourg campus, reports should be made to the Luxembourg Police (+352 4997-1).

For victim assistance in notifying the police, contact the Dean of Students or Student Affairs Emergency Case Manager at 513-529-1877. In addition to filing a police report or even if the victim does not wish to report the offense to police, she/he may still file a report with the Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution, 513-529-1417, and, provided the alleged offender is a student, the university’s disciplinary process may be initiated.

While the University does not condone underage drinking or violation of other University policies, it considers reporting sexual assault and sexual misconduct to be of paramount importance. To encourage reporting and adjudication of sexual assault and sexual misconduct, Miami University will extend limited amnesty to students who have been the victim of sexual misconduct or sexual assault. The University will generally not seek to hold the student responsible for his/her own violations of the law (e.g., underage drinking) or the Code of Student Conduct in which he or she may have been involved during the period immediately surrounding the sexual assault/sexual misconduct.

The university police also make the following promises to victims of sexual assault:

  • Every effort will be made to accommodate a victim's preference as to the gender of the reporting officer.
  • Every victim will be treated with respect and sensitivity.
  • Every case will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated, regardless of the victim's gender or the gender of the assailant.

The police will assist the victim in obtaining necessary medical attention and counseling and will continue to assist victims as they navigate the legal system.

For a complete copy of promises to sexual assault victims, call the police department's community relations officer at 513-529-0633 or visit the police department's website at www.units.miamioh.edu/police/services-offered/victim-services.

Counseling Resources

Information, support and advice are available for anyone who wishes to discuss issues related to sexual assault or sexual misconduct, whether or not a sexual assault or sexual misconduct has actually occurred, whether or not the person seeking information has been assaulted, has been accused of a sexual assault or sexual misconduct, or is a third party.

Counseling is available to victims 24 hours a day by calling the independent Butler County Rape Crisis Program at (513) 381-5610 or tollfree, 877-889-5610. Student victims may also seek assistance from the university’s Oxford Student Counseling Service at 513-529-4634 during normal business hours, Hamilton Campus Counseling (513-785-3211) and Middletown Campus Counseling (513-727-3440). On-call counselors can be reached at any time through the university police dispatcher at 513-529-2222.

Changing Victim's Academic and Living Conditions

Students who have been sexually assaulted may obtain support services such as changing academic and living situations from the Office of the Dean of Students. No police report, disciplinary charge or investigation need occur before this option is available. Support services include the following:

  • Providing the victim with a temporary safe space within the University residence halls
  • Moving the alleged perpetrator or victim so the victim and alleged perpetrator do not share the same residence or dining hall
  • Changing class assignments so that the victim and alleged perpetrator do not share the same classes
  • Providing academic support including tutoring

  • Prohibiting the accused from having any contact with the victim.

To access academic and residential support services, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 529-1877.

University Internal Disciplinary Procedures

The Student Conduct Regulations, as detailed within the Code of Student Conduct (see The Student Handbook, PDF 1.3MB), clearly state the rights and responsibilities of students, behaviors prohibited, possible sanctions, and the procedural rights of students and student organizations. The policy on sexual assault is found in Section 2.1.C of the regulations, which provides:

Section 2.1.C. Intentional or reckless acts that cause or reasonably could cause physical or mental harm to any person are prohibited including non-consensual sexual conduct or contact. Some examples of prohibited behavior include sexual harassment, voyeurism (including the use of video recording devices), indecent exposure, rape (including acquaintance or date rape) and physical contact for the purpose of sexual gratification with another without their consent.

Miami University has also developed a sexual offense protocol that explains how incidents of sexual assault are handled. Miami University will make changes in the victim's academic and living conditions upon request.

Both the accuser and the accused are entitled to the same opportunity for access to information that will be used at the hearing, to present relevant witnesses and other evidence and to have others present during the hearing. Confidential medical /counseling records and information regarding the victim’s sexual history will not be provided to the accused and is not admissible at any disciplinary proceeding. Both parties have the right to appeal. Victim’s appeals are presented by the Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution, which acts on behalf of the victim. Copies of the sexual offense protocol are available in the Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution, Women's Center, Office of the Dean of Students, the Miami Police Department, and the Oxford Police Department.

The policies, procedures, and sanctions outlined in the Code of Conduct apply to all violations of the code, and sexual assault violations are no exception.

As outlined in Part IV Hearing Procedures, the accused and the accuser are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present during a disciplinary proceeding and to present evidence. Both shall be informed in writing of the outcome of any institutional disciplinary proceeding brought alleging a sex offense. Compliance with this subsection does not constitute a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Sanctions to be imposed upon students are varied and depend upon the violation and discipline history of the individual(s). Sanctions include disciplinary probation, suspension, and dismissal. In addition, "1219" Procedures (see The Student Handbook) may be initiated by the university upon the arrest of a student for a qualifying offense of violence, including rape, sexual battery, and gross sexual imposition.

Prosecution

Survivors of sexual assault have the right and are strongly encouraged to pursue prosecution of the assailant under criminal law as well as a complaint under the Code of Student Conduct. In addition to legal and disciplinary action, a victim of sexual assault may consider retaining a private attorney to pursue a civil action for the recovery of damages.

For further information on the Student Conduct Regulations, contact the Office of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution, 9 Warfield Hall, 513-529-1417.

Sexual Offender Registration

Under Ohio's Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN) law, responsibility for registration of sexual predators has been assigned to the sheriff's office. For information concerning the presence of registered sex offenders, visit the Butler County Sheriff's Office at www.butlersheriff.org/divisions/investigations/investigations_sorn.htm.