COMMUNITY STANDARDS

The University encourages anyone with knowledge of an alleged violation of University policy to report the information to the University. Reports can be submitted in the following ways:

• Reports of alleged violations of University policy by Northwestern students can be submitted to OCS. A link to file a report online can be found on the OCS web page. Reports can also be submitted by contacting the office at community-standards@northwestern.edu or 847-491-4582.
• Reports of alleged violations of Northwestern's NU-OCR policies by students can be made to the NU-OCR. Information on filing reports can be found on the Sexual Misconduct Response and Prevention webpage.
• Reports of alleged bias or hate related incidents can be reported to the Bias Incident Response Team. For information read more about filing reports.

OCS also commonly receives incident reports through University entities including, but not limited to, Residential Services, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Northwestern University Police Department, as well as other law enforcement agencies.

While anonymous incident reports will be reviewed by OCS, the University’s ability to address alleged misconduct reported by anonymous sources is significantly limited; therefore, anonymous reports are discouraged.

When a report is received, a student conduct administrator designated by OCS will gather information regarding the alleged incident in order to determine the appropriate means of resolution, including through meeting with the reporter and potentially with others who have knowledge of the incident. During the initial inquiry, the administrator will review all available information related to a report. Based on the information available, the level of detail known about an incident, the interest and willingness of a reporter to participate in the student conduct process, and whether the report is related to a University policy, the administrator will determine the appropriate path for each case. Available paths include:

• Close the Case: OCS may close cases when insufficient information exists to move forward or when the alleged misconduct—even if substantiated— would not be a violation of policy. OCS may, in its discretion, reopen a case in the future if additional information becomes available.
• Informal Resolution: Informal resolution involves action taken by the University in response to a situation or report of violation of University policy when formal resolution is not desired by the reporter or when there is not enough information to proceed with a formal resolution process.
• Formal Resolution: OCS may determine that there is reasonable information to suggest a policy violation may have occurred. In these cases, In these cases, OCS will refer the case to formal resolution for further investigation and formal resolution.
• Summary Resolution: Summary resolution involves administrative action taken when exigent circumstances require immediate action to protect the welfare and safety of the University community.

Additionally, an OCS administrator will determine whether interim actions should be taken while the case is pending. OCS interim actions may include measures taken prior to the formal resolution to ensure the safety and security of the campus community.