An institutional report occurs when a Mandatory Reporter or the Title IX Coordinator receives a complaint. Mandatory Reporters are those employees with authority to address the misconduct; usually, staff in leadership. All employees of the University are trained to direct reports to the Title IX Coordinator who is best situated to provide support.
The Title IX Coordinator is the person responsible to oversee the administration of the University's fair and impartial Title IX and Sexual Misconduct adjudication processes. The Title IX Coordinator will also direct parties to the many on and off-campus resources available to all members of our community who may be affected by misconduct.
Complainants, or anyone with knowledge of Sexual Misconduct, may file a report with a Mandatory Reporter or the Title IX Coordinator. The Responsible Employee must provide a complete reporting of all information known to them to the Title IX Coordinator. Mandatory Reporters informed about Sexual Misconduct allegations should not attempt to resolve the situation alone, but must seek the Coordinator's professional assistance.
Why is Reporting Important?
Reporting an incident to Title IX ensures those in our community affected by sexual misconduct receive the support they need and that the university responds appropriately to alleged prohibited conduct under TItle IX.
Someone may disclose to you for many reasons, including:
The incident has negatively affected the person's academics or employment.
The incident has affected the person's interaction with the responsible employee.
The person may have safety concerns.
The person may need someone to confide in but is not seeking action.
If you are an employee on campus, you are expected to report unless you fall into the confidential or privileged employee category. The different types of employees responsibilities are defined below:
Types of Employees and Reporting Responsibilities:
Confidential Employees: Institution employees who have been designated by the institution to talk with a Complainant or Respondent in confidence. Confidential Employees must only report that the incident occurred and provide date, time, location, and name of the Respondent (if known) without revealing any information that would personally identify the alleged victim. This minimal reporting must be submitted in compliance with Title IX and the Clery Act. Confidential Employees may be required to fully disclose details of an incident in order to ensure campus safety.
Privileged Employees: Individuals employed by the institution to whom a complainant or alleged victim may talk in confidence, as provided by law. Disclosure to these employees will not automatically trigger an investigation against the complainant’s or alleged victim’s wishes. Privileged Employees include those providing counseling, advocacy, health, mental health, or sexual-assault related services (e.g., sexual assault resource centers, campus health centers, pastoral counselors, and campus mental health centers) or as otherwise provided by applicable law. Exceptions to confidentiality exist where the conduct involves suspected abuse of a minor (in Georgia, under the age of 18) or otherwise provided by law, such as imminent threat of serious harm.
Mandatory Reporter: Those employees who must promptly and fully report complaints of or information regarding sexual misconduct to the Coordinator. Responsible Employees include any administrator, supervisor, faculty member, or other person in a position of authority who is not a Confidential Employee or Privileged Employee. Student employees who serve in a supervisory, advisory, or managerial role are in a position of authority for purposes of this Policy (e.g., teaching assistants, residential assistants, student managers, orientation leaders).
How Can I Report?
In Person: Downtown Office Building Office 111 60 W Main St. Dahlonega, GA 30533
What happens when a report is received by the Title IX Coordinator?
Upon receipt of an institutional report, the Coordinator will contact the Complainant. That contact will discuss the availability of supportive measures, the invitation to discuss their wishes with respect to implementation of supportive measures, and explain the process of filing a complaint. An institutional report does not automatically prompt an investigation.