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Sexual Misconduct Policy

The University of St. Thomas’ mission and convictions embody our commitment to promote and protect the personal dignity and well-being of every member of the St. Thomas community.

Sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other forms of sexual misconduct violate that commitment and are not tolerated in our community. Moreover, they constitute unlawful sex discrimination. All forms of sexual misconduct are prohibited by St. Thomas.

All Campus Alerts

Depending on the situation, St. Thomas will communicate a sexual assault report to the community in one of two ways: through Clery-mandates emergency notification or timely warning. Emergency notifications and timely warnings are requirements of the Clery Act, which provides specific guidance for when universities must notify the entire campus community of a crime, significant emergency, or dangerous situation. The details of these requirements can be found in the 2016 Clery Handbook for Campus Safety (PDF), or see excerpts from the handbook below.

In any emergency, including when the University of St. Thomas learns about an incident involving a reported sexual assault, members of the University Action and Response Team (UART) meet to determine immediate actions required to protect the parties involved and to further assess risk to the St. Thomas community. This may include providing transportation to an area hospital or coordinating with Public Safety and local law enforcement. A risk assessment will also be conducted to determine if a campus notification is required under the Clery Act. The safety of those involved and the community as a whole is a priority in each and every situation.

From the 2016 Handbook for Campus Safety and Security Reporting:

When is an emergency notification necessary?

Under the Clery Act, every institution is required to immediately notify the campus community upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation occurring on the campus that involves an immediate threat to the health or safety of students or employees. An “immediate” threat as used here includes an imminent or impending threat, such as an approaching forest fire, or a fire currently raging in one of your buildings.

Timely Warnings:

The Clery Act requires you to alert the campus community to certain crimes in a manner that is timely and will aid in the prevention of similar crimes. Although the Clery Act doesn’t define “timely,” the intent of a warning regarding a criminal incident(s) is to enable people to protect themselves. This means that a warning should be issued as soon as pertinent information is available.