Student Athlete Central College NCAA Sexual Violence Policy
I. Central College’s Commitment to Health, Safety, Fairness, and Integrity in Athletic Programs
Central College, including its Athletics Department, is committed to promoting a healthy, safe environment for all students, employees, and campus community members that is free of sexual and interpersonal violence. Central is also committed to operating its athletics programs in a fair, non-discriminatory manner to ensure that student-athletes receive equitable treatment, consistent with its policies prohibiting discrimination in its educational and athletic programs and activities. In its pursuit of health, safety, and fairness, as well as its enforcement of this policy, College/University adheres to the fundamental values of respect, fairness, civility, and responsibility.
In conjunction with these core commitments, Central College, including its Athletics Department, endeavors to eliminate and prevent sexual violence through its policies, procedures, training and education to all faculty, staff, coaches, and student-athletes. Additionally, Central has invested in resources to assist individuals affected by sexual violence.
On April 27, 2021, the NCAA issued a revised Policy on Campus Sexual Assault, which applies to all NCAA members, including Central College. Central College has created this Policy on Campus Sexual and Interpersonal Violence for Athletic Programming to comply with the NCAA’s requirements, to further its commitment to campus health, safety, and fairness, and to prevent sexual and interpersonal violence. This policy is intended to incorporate and supplement Central College’s other policies and resources related to this issue.
II. Definitions
Interpersonal Violence: Violence that is predominantly caused due to the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, including dating and domestic violence.
Sexual Violence: A term used to include both forcible and nonforcible sex offenses, ranging from sexual battery to rape.
Other Acts of Violence: Crimes including murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault or any assault that employs the use of a deadly weapon or causes serious bodily injury.
III. Policies and Resources Related to Sexual Violence
Central College has a number of policies that relate to or prohibit sexual or interpersonal violence on campus. Members of Central College’s Athletics Department are informed on, integrated with, and compliant with Central’s policies and resources related to: (1) sexual violence prevention; and (2) Central College’s adjudication and resolution of known or reported acts of sexual or interpersonal violence, which are set forth in the policy identified below:
- Central College’s Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy
These policies are available to students, faculty, staff, coaches, and the public on the College’s website. These policies are also available in a hard copy format from the Title IX Coordinator and Equity Officer in Maytag 226.
Additionally, the Athletics Department annually reviews the NCAA’s most current Checklist Recommendations of the NCAA Sexual Violence Prevention Toolkit and uses it as a guide with resources to conduct ongoing, comprehensive education for student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators.
Central College has a Title IX Coordinator, who oversees the College’s efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence. Contact information for the Title IX Coordinator is below:
- Jill Anderson, Title IX Coordinator and Chief Talent, Equity and Engagement Officer, TitleIX@central.edu, 641-628-5198
Central College has designated the NCAA Compliance Coordinator to oversee the Athletics Department’s strategies, in conjunction with the Title IX Coordinator and other campus administrators, to develop, manage, implement and evaluate sexual assault prevention efforts for athletics staff, coaches and student-athletes. Contact information for the NCAA Compliance Coordinator is below:
- Alicia O’Brien, NCAA Compliance Coordinator & Senior Associate Athletic Director, obriena@central.edu, 641-628-5434
In addition to its Title IX Coordinator and NCAA Compliance Coordinator, Central College has many other resources available to enhance sexual violence prevention, and assist individuals who believe they may have been involved in or are concerned about an act of sexual or interpersonal violence. These resources include:
- Training provided to members of the Athletics Department about sexual and interpersonal violence prevention, including training on Central College’s Title IX and other sexual misconduct policies.
- The NCAA Compliance Coordinator meets with each athletic team annually about NCAA compliance, including about Title IX and other policies that pertain to sexual or interpersonal violence.
- All students, including student-athletes, complete prevention training annually about identity, inclusion, consent, healthy relationships, hazing, bullying, alcohol and other drugs offered online through Get Inclusive.
- All employees, including members of the Athletics Department, complete prevention training annually about Title IX offered online through Get Inclusive.
- Campus and Community Resources for Students and Employees, including confidential resources for counseling services and victim advocacy.
- Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) modules are offered regularly to student-athletes by a team of trained facilitators, including students, faculty and staff.
Central College’s Athletics Department is informed on and integrated with these resources.
IV. Training Related to Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention, Intervention, and Response
All student-athletes, coaches, and staff affiliated with the Athletics Department are required to undergo annual training related to sexual and interpersonal violence prevention, intervention, and response. The Athletics Department/Title IX Office provides this annual training, and additional programming related to these topics. If you have not undergone this training, and have not yet scheduled this training, the NCAA Compliance Coordinator or Title IX Coordinator will promptly arrange for this training.
V. Annual Disclosure Form for Student-Athletes
The NCAA requires that all incoming, continuing, and transfer student-athletes complete an annual disclosure form that states whether the student-athlete has been disciplined through a Title IX proceeding, whether a student-athlete left a former institution while they were a respondent in an incomplete Title IX proceeding, or whether the student-athlete was criminally convicted of sexual, interpersonal, or other acts of violence. This form must be completed and submitted to the NCAA Compliance Coordinator by October 1.
If a student-athlete fails to complete or submit this form by the submission date in question, Central College will remove the student-athlete from all athletic programs. If a student-athlete fails to make a full and accurate annual disclosure by the date in question, the student-athlete could face penalties, including loss of eligibility to participate in athletic programming, as determined by Central College.
A student-athlete’s truthful disclosure of information in the annual disclosure form is not necessarily a bar to admission or participation in athletic programming at Central College. The College will carefully assess all disclosed information, make an individualized assessment consistent with the College’s commitment to preventing sexual or interpersonal violence, consider the nature and gravity of any disclosed conduct, the accuracy of the disclosure, the relevance of any disclosed information to the campus community and educational activities, and whether the student-athlete individual engaged in any mitigating or rehabilitative efforts related to the disclosed information.
VI. Disclosure of New Information Related to Sexual or Interpersonal Violence or Serious Criminal Activity
If, after submitting an annual disclosure form for a given academic year, a student-athlete is named as a respondent in a Title IX proceeding, or is charged with a crime related to sexual or interpersonal violence, or other acts of violence, the student-athlete must promptly self-disclose this information to the NCAA Compliance Coordinator. A representative will follow up with additional direction after reviewing the self-disclosure.
VII. Reasonable Steps To Confirm a History of Sexual or Interpersonal Violence
The NCAA also requires Central College to take reasonable steps to confirm whether incoming, continuing, and transfer student-athletes have been disciplined through a Title IX proceeding or criminally convicted of sexual, interpersonal, or other acts of violence. To comply with the NCAA’s expectation, each student-athlete is required to: (1) submit their annual disclosure form under penalty of perjury; and (2) provide detailed information about any disclosed Title IX proceedings or criminal convictions. Then, if or when the NCAA Compliance Coordinator and/or Title IX Coordinator determines there is a need to follow up with a student-athlete about the annual disclosure form, student-athletes are expected to be cooperative with any questions or interviews that relate to the annual disclosure form. A student-athlete’s failure to cooperate with any follow-up information requests or interviews may result in penalties for the student-athlete, including exclusion from participating in athletic events affiliated with Central College.
Notwithstanding the contents of a disclosure, the NCAA Compliance Coordinator and/or Title IX Coordinator may also elect, at their discretion, to use additional investigation methods to understand a student-athlete’s potential history of sexual or interpersonal violence. The NCAA Compliance Coordinator and/or Title IX Coordinator may elect to engage in further investigation efforts for many reasons, including the receipt of information suggesting that the student-athlete may have a history of sexual or interpersonal violence, information suggesting a student-athlete may have recently been involved with an incident of sexual or interpersonal violence, or information suggesting the student-athlete may not have been completely honest and forthcoming in the annual disclosure form.
Additional investigation methods could include criminal background checks, requests for references, review of publicly available records, interviews with the student-athlete or third parties, requests for information from other educational institutions (subject to privacy laws), and other research. When deciding whether further investigation is needed, or deciding how to conduct any additional investigation, Central College will adhere to all applicable state and federal laws, and will apply its inquiry and investigation methods in a fair and equitable manner.
VIII. Verification of Information for Incoming and Transfer-student Athletes
For incoming and transfer student-athletes, the NCAA requires that Central College take reasonable steps to gather information from any former educational institution that a student left a former educational institution with an incomplete Title IX proceeding, received discipline through a Title IX proceeding, or has a criminal conviction for sexual, interpersonal or other acts of violence. To comply with this requirement, Central College will require incoming and transfer student-athletes who answer “yes” to any of the three questions on the Central College Student- Athlete Disclosure Form to complete a legally-compliant educational records release directed to
the former educational institution, which will authorize the former institution to release information about any known Title IX proceedings in which the student-athlete was named as a respondent and which are incomplete, any known Title IX proceedings that resulted in discipline against the student-athlete, and any known history of criminal or interpersonal violence by the student-athlete.
Central College will provide this form to the student-athlete to complete, and the student-athlete must return this release to the Title IX Coordinator so that Central College may conduct the required inquiry. A failure to furnish the release may result in penalties for the student-athlete, including a potential exclusion from participating in athletic events affiliated with Central College.
IX. Cooperation With College Policies and Procedures
Notwithstanding the provisions of this policy, the Central Athletics Department will cooperate, and act in compliance with, all College policies, processes, and procedures into reports and matters related to sexual and interpersonal violence involving student-athletes and Athletics Department staff. This includes investigations and adjudications under College policy.
X. Recordkeeping
Central College will maintain all completed disclosure forms, as well as any records generated in any investigation or research related to a student-athlete’s history of sexual or interpersonal violence or criminal convictions, in confidence. These materials will be stored by the NCAA Compliance Coordinator in the Athletics Department and maintained for a period of seven years following a student’s departure from Central College.