Sexual Assault

OSUIT educates the campus community about sexual assaults and date rape through orientations and classes. The OSUIT Police Department offers sexual assault education and information programs to students and employees upon request.

Literature on date rape education, risk reduction, University response, and the official OSUIT Policy is available through the Residential Life Office and the Student Conduct Office.

If you are a victim of a sexual assault at this institution, your first priority should be to get to a place of safety. You should then obtain necessary medical treatment. The OSUIT Police Department strongly advocates that a victim of sexual assault report the incident in a timely manner. Time is a critical factor for evidence collection and preservation. An assault should be reported directly to an OSUIT Police officer and/or to a Housing representative. Filing a report with an OSUIT Police officer will not obligate the victim to prosecute, nor will it subject the victim to scrutiny or retaliation of any kind. Filing an OSUIT police report will:

  • Ensure that a victim of sexual assault receives the necessary medical treatment and tests, at no expense to the victim;
  • Provide the opportunity for collection of evidence helpful in prosecution, which cannot be obtained later (ideally a victim of sexual assault should not wash, douche, use the toilet, eat, drink, smoke, or change clothing prior to a medical/legal exam);
  • Assure the victim has access to free confidential counseling from counselors specifically trained in the area of sexual assault/rape crisis intervention.

When a sexual assault victim contacts the OSUIT Police Department, the Okmulgee County District Attorneys Office and the OSUIT Chief Conduct Officer will be notified as well. If the sexual assault/rape occurred in the dorms then a representative from Residential Life will also be notified. The victim of a sexual assault may choose for the investigation to be pursued through the criminal justice system and the OSUIT Student Conduct Office, or only the latter. A University representative from the OSUIT Police Department or the OSUIT Student Conduct Office will guide the victim through the available options and support the victim in his or her decision. Various counseling options are available from the University through the Counseling Center. Counseling and support services outside the University system can be obtained through the Okmulgee County Coordinated Community Response Team for rape and sexual assaults 1-800-522-SAFE (7233).

University disciplinary proceedings, as well as special guidelines for cases involving sexual misconduct, are detailed in the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology Student Rights and Responsibilities Governing Student Behavior. This provides, in part, that the accused and the victim will each be allowed to choose an advocate to accompany them throughout the hearing. Both the victim and accused will be informed of the outcome of the hearing. A student found responsible of violating the University sexual misconduct policy may be suspended from the University for the first offense. Student victims have the option to change their academic and/or on-campus living situations after an alleged sexual assault, if such changes are reasonably available and he student has request the change to the Residential Life office and the Student Conduct office.