Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center

• You can file a report with Brandeis University's Office of Equal Opportunity directly at 781-736-4806 or oeo@brandeis.edu. You may also file using EthicsPoint, its secure online reporting portal. If you do not want your identity attached to your report, you also can report anonymously through EthicsPoint.
  • Learn more about what the process of reporting could look like with this handout (pdf) created by PARC peer advocates.
• You can also file a report with Brandeis Public Safety or with the local police department in the jurisdiction where the violence occurred. If you aren't sure which jurisdiction to report to, Waltham Police or the police where you live would be a good place to start. If you experienced violence in more than one place, try to file your report in the jurisdiction where most — or the worst — of the violence occurred. This can be in addition to filing a report with Brandeis or instead of filing a report with Brandeis.
• You can also decide not to file a report (now or ever). No one should make you file a report if you don't want to.
• An advocate from PARC can support you through any of these reporting processes, including being with you when you submit your online report, accompanying you to interviews, going with you to court and more.

Whether you choose to report or not, you can request accommodations (also known as "interim restrictions") to help you stay safe and successful on campus either during an investigation or just in moving forward. You can ask for help with these from your advocate in PARC, staff in the Office of Equal Opportunity or directly with the contact office listed. Examples of things you might find helpful:

• Temporary or permanent Brandeis housing assignment change.
• Alteration or removal of university directory information.
• University "No Contact Orders" or court-issued restraining orders (to ensure that shared classes or other shared experiences are avoided).
• Guidance from Academic Services at 781-736-3470, which can help you communicate with faculty and to keep up your academic obligations through tutoring and other academic resources, planning meetings and academic advising.
• For graduate students, additional support for navigating coursework and other responsibilities is available from Graduate Student Affairs at 781-736-3547.
• Assistance with referrals to on- or off-campus physical or psychological health resources.
• Assistance with transportation to, and explanation of, municipal report filing (for example, Waltham Police or Waltham District Court/assistant district attorney’s office).
• Assistance with immigration and visa issues.

The below information is taken directly from the Brandeis Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct:

A No Contact Order (NCO) restricts contact, interaction, and communication between two or more individuals, either directly or through others (e.g., friends, family members, attorneys, others, etc.). A NCO may also include restrictions regarding an individual's ability to access certain spaces on campus. When a Resolution Process is initiated (or is going to be initiated), a No Contact Order can be put into place at the request of any party or when the University deems that a NCO is necessary.

No Contact Orders can also be put into place outside of the Resolution Process at the discretion of Dean of Students Office. No Contact Orders are issued and administered by the Dean of Students Office. On occasion, University Police, DCL or a University official may issue a temporary verbal restriction on contact which will be follow up on by the Dean of Students Office on the next business day.

When a No Contact Order (NCO) is issued, the individuals involved will receive written notification of the order and a meeting will be scheduled with the Dean of Students Office who will explain the terms of the order and answer any questions. That administrator will help facilitate the terms of the NCO so that the individuals involved may attend classes and use University facilities as appropriate. The goal is for the individuals involved in an NCO to be able continue their academic and social endeavors, to the extent possible, while still avoiding contact. Violations of the terms of an NCO may result in more serious Interim Restrictions being put into place, the initiation of a conduct process to address those violations, and/or information regarding that violation being taken into consideration in any pending Resolution Process. A No Contact Order may be kept in place after the conclusion of a Resolution Process as a sanction or when deemed appropriate by the University.

How to Get a No Contact Order

No Contact Orders are administered through the Dean of Students Office (DOSO). Students who are interested in a NCO can make an appointment with the Dean of Students office to discuss concerns and reason for requesting an NCO.

A No Trespass Order can be issued by Brandeis Public Safety to prohibit a non-Brandeis community member from entering campus. To request a No Trespass Order,  you must be able to document previous violence or an ongoing threat of violence that the person could commit to you and/or the greater Brandeis community. No Trespass Orders can rarely be given against current members of the Brandeis community as they typically apply to individuals who do not have legitimate business being on campus.

A sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) exam allows evidence to be saved if you choose to report the incident or think you might want to report it later. Collecting evidence and preventing pregnancy and STIs are most effective when done at the earliest opportunity, so generally getting an exam within 48 hours of the assault is considered to be the ideal time frame. However, evidence can be collected over a week later in some cases. No matter how much time has passed, it is most important that you get the medical care you need, so even if it has been longer, you can still get an exam.

If you can, it's best to avoid using the restroom, changing clothes, combing your hair, cleaning up the place where it happened, or showering or bathing before arrival. If you have any evidence that you want to show either the police or your health care provider, be sure to place it in a paper, not plastic bag. 

The exam itself will take about 3-4 hours, and will involve collecting medical history, conducting a detailed medical examination, and speaking to you about treatment options for things such as STIs, prophylaxis and emergency contraception. You have the right to accept or decline any or all parts of the exam and the cost will be covered (so you don’t have to worry about paying for it or having an insurance bill mailed afterward).

If you get a SANE exam, you have the option to speak to the police, but you are certainly not required to.

Not all hospitals are equipped to perform SANE exams. PARC recommends Newton-Wellesley Hospital, which is also the closest emergency room to Brandeis. If you need help with transportation, please give us a call and we will gladly take care of it for you!