Sexual Harassment and Assault
Sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and sexual assault, can happen anywhere in the world. Brandeis University is committed to responding to these issues whether students are studying in Waltham or off-campus.
Jump to resources and contact information
In the event you, or someone you care about, experience sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating/domestic violence and/or stalking while abroad, you are strongly encouraged to seek the support of your onsite staff or faculty. Seek safety first; then talk to the resident/program director or international student office your program abroad. You can also contact your advisor in the Office of Study Abroad in order to provide you the appropriate support and resources. We can work with your program as well as discuss Brandeis resources that are available to you.
The Office of Study Abroad will work with the University's Office of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator on any instances of sexual misconduct. All reports to the Office of Equal Opportunity are to ensure that students are safe and supported.
Brandeis-Run Study Abroad Programs
If for any reason you feel you have been involved in an incident of sexual or gender-based misconduct, please contact your advisor in the Office of Study Abroad. You may also refer to or contact the Office of Equal Opportunity for information regarding prohibited conduct, your rights as both a reporting and responding student, and how to report the incident, or contact the Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center (PARC) for confidential support services which can be made available via online chat or video call for abroad students.
If you choose to report an incident, we encourage you to work with the local Brandeis program faculty. Your faculty member, as a responsible employee, is required to report incidents to the Office of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator at Brandeis, and they are not a confidential source of support. They will be able to offer guidance regarding local response resources, reporting protocols and on-site accommodations. For confidential campus resources and support, please review these resources.
If you are a responding student, meaning an incident report is brought against you while you are on a Brandeis program, you will be held to the standards and adjudication structure of Brandeis University. Policies on sexual and gender-based misconduct can be found in "Rights and Responsibilities."Brandeis-Approved Programs
If for any reason you feel you have been involved in an incident of sexual or gender-based misconduct, the Brandeis on-campus support resources are available to you from a distance. However, your best resource for immediate local support is the program staff on site.
Because the program's policies are also relevant, it is a good idea to work with the study abroad program staff to understand what you can expect in terms of response and reporting. The program staff can also help determine what — if any — accommodations you might need to help keep you safe. This could be access to confidential victim services, access to medical assistance, help with reporting to police (only if you chose to do so), potential housing changes, academic accommodations, as well as other resources.
Remember: If you want to speak with a confidential support person — someone who is not required to report to the program or Brandeis' Office of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator — you will need to specifically ask for someone who can be confidential. Most program staff are required by law to report any incidents. However, they should be able to guide you to local resources that can help without having to report. Regardless of whether you choose to report to the program or local police, your safety is our primary concern.
If you do want to report the incident, work directly with the overseas study abroad staff. They should report all incidents to Brandeis. The Office of Equal Opportunity at Brandeis will then follow up with you about the incident and work with you and the program abroad to offer necessary support, guidance and resolution.
If an incident report is brought against you while you are on a non-Brandeis program, you will be held to the standards and adjudication structure of the program and Brandeis University. A responding student (alleged offender) will be held to the sanctions imposed by the host program. The host program will notify Brandeis of these sanctions in a timely manner. A responding student could also be subject to additional action based on Brandeis' policy. The Title IX Coordinator will review the case based on Brandeis policy. If merited, additional sanctions could be imposed.
In all cases, please refer to Brandeis' website on Sexual Misconduct and Title IX for the most up-to-date policies, resources and guidance.
Confidential Resources
If you would like to discuss an incident, but don't want a formal or informal investigation into the matter, you may contact the following resources:
Prevention, Advocacy, and Resource Center
781-736-3371
parc@brandeis.edu
Brandeis Confidential Complaint Hotline
781-736-4452
Brandeis Health Center
781-736-3677
Multifaith Chaplaincy
781-736-3570
Brandeis Counseling Center
781-736-3730
781-736-4806
oeo@brandeis.edu