What is Title IX?

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. –Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Sexual misconduct can occur in many forms, including, but not limited to, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and gender-based harassment.

Rust College is committed to providing a safe workplace and educational environment that supports the academic and professional growth of students, staff, and faculty and does not tolerate sexual harassment.

The College’s Title IX Coordinator oversees the implementation of Rust College’s Sexual Misconduct policy and coordinating the College’s compliance with Title IX and other federal and state laws and regulations relating to sex-based discrimination. The Title IX Coordinator has the primary responsibility for coordinating Rust College’s efforts related to the intake, investigation, resolution, and implementation of supportive measures to stop, remediate, and prevent sexual harassment misconduct, and retaliation.

Who Can I Talk To?

Confidential

You may want to speak with a counselor or a campus minister who is a confidential resource and will not share identifying information about you without your written consent.

  • Mental Health Counselor- Tony Whitson- Insert Contact Information
  • College Chaplin- Dr. Ricky Georgetown-Insert Contact Information

Off-Campus Resources

  • National Sexual Assault Hotline (800) 656-4673
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline (800) 799-7233
  • Georgia Crisis & Access Line (800) 715-4225
  • Homeland Security contact on human trafficking (866) 347-2433
  • Understanding Title IX- TNG (tngconsulting.com)

Supportive Measures  

Assistance with reporting to law enforcement: If the Reporting Party chooses, the University may assist in filing a report with the appropriate law enforcement agency

  • No Contact Order: Rust College Security, the Title IX Coordinator, VP of Enrollment Management and Student Engagement and/or Human Resources Manager may impose a “no-contact” order, which typically will include a directive that the parties refrain from having any contact with one another, directly or through third parties, whether in person or via electronic means, pending the investigation and, if applicable, the hearing. When taking steps to separate the Reporting Party and the Responding Party, the Title IX Coordinator, VP of Enrollment Management and Student Engagement, and/or Human Resources Manager will seek to minimize unnecessary or unreasonable burdens on either party. Note, however, that this obligation does not preclude the College from evaluating and implementing an interim suspension if deemed warranted.
  • Safety Measures: The College may coordinate any reasonable arrangements that are necessary for ongoing safety. This includes parking arrangements, providing security escorts, or transportation assistance.
  • Living Arrangements: The College may assist in changing on-campus living arrangements, as available, for the Reporting Party or of the Responding Party to ensure safety and a comfortable living situation.
  • Campus Trespass Order/Restriction: The College may issue a trespass order which would prevent an individual from entering any part of campus. A campus restriction may also be imposed in order to restrict an individual from certain areas of campus, such as a residence hall (this can also include restrictions from College activities and/or events).
  • Employment Arrangements: The College may assist with altering work arrangements for employees, including changes in work schedules or job assignments.
  • Academic Arrangements/Modifications: The College may assist with adjusting academic schedules, withdrawals, absence notifications, deadline extensions, and testing accommodations as well as assist in providing resources to academic support services.
  • Other Interim Measures: The College may coordinate reasonable arrangements to address the effects of Title IX complaints, including connections with counseling, health care, financial planning assistance, immigration and/or visa assistance, or academic support resources. Once the Title IX coordinator receives a report, the Reporting Party and Responding Party will be scheduled for separate meetings to review reporting options and interim measures.

Reporting and Title IX Process  

Anyone who becomes aware of sexual harassment committed by College faculty, staff, student, or guest, is encouraged to report the harassment to the Title IX Coordinator. All Rust College employees (faculty, staff, student employees, and administrators) are expected to immediately report actual or suspected sexual harassment to the Title IX Coordinator. Employees must also promptly share all details of behaviors under this policy that they observe or have knowledge of, even if not directly reported to them. Failure of a Mandated Reporter to report and incident of sexual harassment of which they become aware is a violation of Rust College policy and can be subject to disciplinary action for failure to comply. (Designated Confidential Employees are addressed in the Sexual Misconduct Policy). 

A report of sexual harassment should include the following details, when possible: 

  • Name, address and telephone number of person making the report 
  • Name, address, and telephone number of Complainant and Respondent (if known) 
  • Date incident occurred 
  • Location of incident 
  • Description of incident 
  • Upon receiving a report, the Title IX Coordinator will contact the Complainant and discuss their Rights, Options, and Supportive Measures. If a Complainant does not wish for their name to be shared, does not wish for an investigation to take place, or does not want a formal complaint to be pursued, they may make such a request to the Title IX Coordinator. 

Understanding Our Process  

Once the Title IX Coordinator meets with the Complainant, the Complainant will have the ability to make a decision on how to proceed. Options may include

  • No Action
  • Informal Action
  • Formal Action

Once the Complainant understands their options, they may also be provided with supportive measures to ensure their safety. Please view our tab on “Supportive Measures” to better understand what these options may be.