Contact Us   Morningside Campus: 703 Lerner Hall Mon. - Fri., 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM   Health Science Campus: 101 Bard Hall Tues. and Thurs., 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM   Phone: 212-854-1717 E-mail: hva2002@columbia.edu What are my rights under the sexual misconduct policy? Sexual Misconduct/Assault Incident Reporting Database

The Disciplinary Office for Sexual Misconduct (DOSM) oversees policy adjudication and preventive education for the Columbia University community with regard to sexual misconduct. Use of the sexual misconduct adjudication process is an option for undergraduate and graduate students. If you do not fall within the scope of our services or you choose not to utilize the sexual misconduct adjudication procedure, we will gladly refer you to other service providers on and off campus.

Columbia University's Disciplinary Procedure for Sexual Misconduct responds to complaints of sexual misconduct among students. Upon receipt of a complaint, a panel will be convened to hear the case and recommend sanctions against any student found in violation of the University's Sexual Misconduct Policy. If you or a friend have been assaulted by a CU student, you can contact the Administrative Coordinator for information regarding this process. Inquiries will be held in confidentiality and no student will be forced to proceed. For more information on the Policy and proceedings, please contact 212-854-1717.

The DOSM was adopted by the University Senate in February 2000. Click here for a copy of the Senate Resolutions.

The DOSM provides one of the three on-campus disciplinary procedures for students wishing to file a complaint of sexual misconduct against another student. Columbia students are permitted to initiate whichever on-campus procedure meets their needs. Students may also initiate criminal justice proceedings, though adjudication cannot take place at the same time that a criminal investigation is under way.

The Administrative Coordinator is available to answer your questions.

Columbia University, Barnard College, and Teachers College are committed to fostering a healthy and safe environment in which every member of the community can realize his or her fullest potential. Non-consensual sexual conduct and violence -- what the University calls sexual misconduct -- can be traumatizing and detrimental to a person's learning experience and total health and has no place in such a community. The University, therefore, does not tolerate sexual misconduct of any kind.

Sexual misconduct is a serious problem on college campuses throughout the country. In addition, persons who have experienced sexual misconduct often find it difficult to talk about those experiences, so many incidents go unreported.

To counteract this problem, the University provides educational and preventative programs, resources for individuals dealing with sexual violence, and accessible methods of complaint resolution.

Sexual misconduct encompasses a range of non-consensual actions that include, but are not limited to, acts of sexual assault and rape. Sexual misconduct can occur in interactions and relationships between women and men, women and women, and men and men.

A critical factor that distinguishes acceptable sexual behavior from unacceptable behavior is the consent of all parties involved. When individuals willingly and knowingly engage in sexual activity with each other, it is consensual. It is the resonsibility of individuals to engage only in sexual activity to which their partners consent.

The University specifically defines sexual misconduct as:
"non-consensual, intentional physical conduct of a sexual nature, such as unwelcome physical contact with a person's genitals, buttocks or breasts. Lack of consent may be inferred from the use of force, threat, physical intimidation, or advantage gained by the victim's mental or physical incapacity or impairment of which the perpetrator was aware or should have been aware".