Reporting FAQs

REPORTING FAQs

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I REPORT?

After you report you should be provided with resources. You can refer to the resources at the top of this page, or reach out to a member of the Title IX Team. After you report we can make interim changes including but not limited to:

Mutual no contact orders (eliminating contact between both parties)
Changes to campus housing
Changes to class schedule
Contact faculty members on your behalf

We then will work with you to determine the course of action in terms of process, for example, if you want to pursue disciplinary action or not, etc. This is very situational and we respect the wishes of the individual who reports unless there is deemed to be an ongoing threat to the MICA community.

To make a report you may:

Speak directly to the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator.
Fill out the MICA online reporting form to securely file equity-related complaints for use by faculty, staff, and students.

Remember, all faculty and staff members of the MICA community with the exception of Student Health and the Counseling Center are Mandatory Reporters and must report all instances of sexual misconduct. Individuals may want to consider carefully whether they share personally identifiable details with non-confidential employees, since those details must be shared by the employee with the Title IX Coordinator and/or Deputy Coordinators (in the case of sex discrimination or sexual harassment, including sexual violence) or other appropriate College official.

If a complainant does not wish for his or her name and/or the name of the alleged violator to be shared, does not wish for an investigation to take place, or does not want a formal resolution to be pursued, the complainant may make such a request to the Title IX Coordinator or other appropriate College official, who will evaluate that request in light of the responsibility to provide a safe and non-discriminatory environment for all members of the campus community.

Formal reporting still affords privacy to the reporter, and only a small group of officials who need to know will be told, including but not limited to: Division of Student Affairs, Campus Safety, Human Resources, and the Threat Assessment Team. Information will be shared as necessary with investigators, witnesses and the responding party. The circle of people with this knowledge will be kept as tight as possible in order to preserve the complainant's rights and privacy.

No, MICA's policy states:

"The College encourages reporting and seeks to remove any barriers to reporting by making the procedures for reporting transparent and straightforward. The College recognizes that an individual who has been drinking or using drugs at the time of the incident may be hesitant to make a report because of a potential policy violation and consequences for their own conduct. An individual who reports sexual misconduct, either as a complainant or third party witness, will not be subject to disciplinary action by the College for their own personal consumption of alcohol or drugs at or near the time of the incident, provided that any such violations did not and do not place the health or safety of any other person at risk. The College may, however, initiate an educational discussion or pursue other educational remedies regarding alcohol or other drugs."

The information submitted will be sent to MICA’s equity compliance team, led by Andreas L Neal, Director of Equity Compliance & Title IX Coordinator. They will review the information provided and activate the appropriate individuals to provide support and investigate the report, as needed.

Assuming contact information is provided, someone will typically make contact with the person who submitted the report within 24-48 business hours. If the reported incident involves students, someone from Student Affairs will outreach. If the reported incident involves employees a member of Human Resources will make contact. If the report involves both students and employees contact may come from either office, depending on the details of the report. Whomever outreaches will be able to connect support resources and explain any relevant College investigation or process options.

A visual flowchart can be found here.

Please provide any information that you feel may be relevant. The more detailed and complete the information is, the more comprehensively the College can respond. While not required, examples of common information included in reports would include: Names and contact information for all relevant parties ; Time, date, and location of incidents, when known ; Detailed information regarding language used, physical contact made, or other interactions that help define the nature of the behavior ; Supporting documentation such as screenshots, recordings, photographs, or other items that help describe the alleged behavior.

Individuals will have the ability to provide additional information after submitting the online form so long as they remain in contact with the College, but the more information provided in the initial submission the more appropriately MICA will be able to respond.

Yes. The College is interested in every narrative and if someone needs to submit information anonymously in order to feel safe making the report then they should. That being said, it is more difficult to thoroughly investigate concerns when the College cannot ask questions about the information. It is often more complicated to come to a resolution using solely anonymous information, although anonymous reports can be useful to help identify patterns of behavior if, for example, multiple reports are received that concern the same person or group.

Submitted reports will be reviewed as promptly as possible, typically within 24-48 hours. This form should not, however, be considered as activating emergency personnel to respond to an imminent safety threat. If immediate support is needed please contact 911 or MICA’s Campus Safety at 443-423-3333.

MICA prohibits retaliation as a result of submitting a report. Students submitting a report are also protected from being held responsible for alcohol or drug violations (with the exception of drug dealing) that may be uncovered as part of the violation. MICA does not want a student to avoid bringing forward a discrimination concern because, for example, they may have been intoxicated while underage during the incident.

Additional questions should be sent to equity@mica.edu.

Detailed information about MICA’s Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Non-Discrimination policy, inclusive of on- and off-campus resources as well as procedures for investigation and resolution can be found at mica.edu/equity.