If a complainant seeks complete confidentiality, they may speak with a confidential resource. The resources below also are available to respondents to help them manage the mental health impact of their involvement in such matters.

University Counseling Center (Students & Employees)

The University Counseling Center on campus provides confidential counseling from licensed providers and other mental health services. Counseling is free for students, and employees receive seven (7) free sessions each fiscal year.

Timelycare Virtual Counseling Services (Students & Employees)

Students and employees may utilize the confidential 24/7 Virtual Counseling Services and Tools provided by Timelycare by logging in with their Western email address and credentials.

Community Resources (Students & Employees)

Project Hope of Gunnison Valley provides confidential education, support, and advocacy to individuals affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and/or human trafficking. Services are free to individuals in Gunnison and Hinsdale Counties; however, services are not limited to residents of these counties. You may contact Project Hope by phone at (970) 641-2712 or via their 24/7 Helpline at (970) 275-1193.

Axis Health System provides access to confidential mental and behavioral health services in Gunnison. They accept multiple insurance plans, including Medicaid.

Employee Mental Health Resources

Employees have access to free video and phone counseling and professional coaching via the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (CSEAP). In-person appointments are available for employees in the Denver, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction areas.

Appointments can be scheduled via their website C-SEAP Counseling (which also contains other helpful resources) or call toll free 800-821-8154 to make arrangements to speak to a counselor.

Employees can learn more about available mental health resources at InsideWestern HR Mental Health.

Supportive measures are action steps and resources designed to support continued participation in university life and progress toward student and employee success. Supportive measures may include, but are not limited to, counseling, extensions of deadlines or other course-related adjustments as appropriate and available, modifications to work or class schedules, campus security escort services, mutual restrictions on contact between complainant and respondent, changes in work or housing locations, leaves of absence, increased security, and more.

The Title IX Coordinator will ensure that supportive measures are offered to the complainant and/or respondent as appropriate, as reasonably available, and without fee or charge. Supportive measures may be requested by or offered to the complainant before or after the filing of a formal complaint, or where no formal complaint has been filed.

Complainants who do not want to pursue an informal or formal resolution process are always entitled to request and receive appropriate and reasonably available supportive measures.

If a process occurs in which the respondent is given notice of a complaint, the respondent is also entitled to receive appropriate and reasonably available supportive measures.

Contact the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy at tixadministrator@western.edu to request supports.

Campus Security Services 

Available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week

University Center, First Floor

Security Duty Cell Phone: (970) 209-1020

https://western.edu/campus-life/safety-security/

Gunnison Police Department

910 W. Bidwell Ave

Phone: (970) 641-8200

Emergency: 911

Victim Advocate Phone (970) 641-8299)

A report to law enforcement could result in the filing of a criminal complaint. If you are interested in learning more about your right to pursue a criminal complaint, you can speak with an officer or a victim advocate at the Gunnison Police Department.

A protection order and/or other legal orders may be sought through a court with jurisdiction over where the incident happened. These orders will be enforced by the University as may be required by the order. If you obtain a protection order, it is your responsibility to notify Western’s Campus Security Services and the Title IX Coordinator.

The police or a victim advocate can share more about the process to obtain such orders.

Legal assistance is available locally for those who qualify. You may refer to:

Colorado Legal Services

Uncompahgre Volunteer Legal Aid

Student financial aid information is available via the Student Financial Services Department.

Visa and immigration assistance information for students is available via International Student and Scholar Services.

Amnesty Policy Statement

In those cases where individuals have been involved in incidents of sexual harassment while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, the University will not pursue disciplinary actions against those involved (or against a witness) for their improper use of alcohol or drugs (e.g. underage drinking, or under the influence at a campus function). Amnesty is intended to support the practice of individuals reporting incidents of prohibited discriminatory harassment, sexual harassment, and other violations of this policy, and to protect an individual’s safety. Individuals experiencing or witnessing violations of this policy while themselves violating another University policy (for example, the University policy concerning alcohol and other drug use), are encouraged to report the violations of this policy that they experienced or witnessed.

Student Support for Pregnancy, Pregnancy-Related Conditions

Western aims to ensure that pregnant students and those with pregnancy-related conditions receive an equitable educational opportunity.

Pregnancy-related conditions include: pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, miscarriage, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions.

Western serves such students by connecting them to reasonable and appropriate modifications and supports, which may include but are not limited to:

• Adjustments or alterations to courses
• Extensions of course deadlines
• Leaves of absence
• Returning students to the same academic and extracurricular status as before their medical leave began

Western also prohibits making any decisions related to a student’s parental, family, or marital status that treats students differently based on their sex.

Contact the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy by email at tixadministrator@western.edu or by telephone at (650) 383-4753 x196 to schedule a meeting to discuss your needs or to refer a student.

Complainant is a person who has been subjected to the alleged sexual misconduct or related retaliation. For purposes of this policy, a Complainant can be a University employee, student, authorized volunteer, contractor, guest, or visitor.

A document filed by a Complainant or signed by the Title IX Coordinator alleging sexual misconduct and/or sexual harassment against a Respondent and requesting that Western investigate the allegation of sexual misconduct and/or sexual harassment.

Responsible employee is a University employee who has the authority to institute corrective measures on behalf of the University. The following categories of employees are the University’s Responsible Employees: faculty, academic affairs administrators, student affairs administrators, residence life staff, coaches, supervisors, Director of Human Resources, President and Vice Presidents of the University.

A report submitted by a Reporter or Complainant regarding an alleged incident that they experienced, witnessed, or were informed of after the fact. Incident reports alert the Title IX Coordinator that there is a potential incident which should be investigated and prompt the Title IX Coordinator to reach out to involved parties to provide support. Incident reports do not constitute a formal complaint.

An individual who has been reported to be the perpetrator of conduct that could constitute sexual misconduct.

Intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by the Sexual Misconduct Prohibition policy and Title IX or its implementing regulation, or because the individual has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this policy. Such retaliation shall be dealt with as a separate instance of sexual misconduct.

• An employee of the University conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of the institution on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct
• Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the University’s education program or activity; or
• Sexual assault as defined in 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f)(6)(A)(v), dating violence as defined in 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(1), domestic violence as defined in 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(8) or stalking as defined in 34 U.S.C. 12291(a)(30).

• Rape, which is penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without consent of the victim.
• Fondling, which is the touching of the private body part of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of their age or because of their temporary or permanent mental incapacity;
• Incest, which is sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law; OR
• Statutory Rape, which is sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent.

Includes felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the State of Colorado, or by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction.

Violence by a person who has been in a romantic or intimate relationship with the Complainant. Whether there was such a relationship will be gauged by its length, type and frequency of interaction.

Course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety, or to suffer substantial emotional distress. Stalking may take the form of, but is not limited to, harassing telephone calls, electronic communications and/or letter-writing.

Affirmative, knowing and voluntary words or actions that create a mutually understandable and clear agreement to engage in sexual activity. It is the responsibility of each person involved in the sexual activity to ensure that they have affirmative consent of the other or others to engage in the sexual activity. Silence, lack of protest, or resistance, by themselves cannot be interpreted as consent. Consent must be ongoing throughout a sexual activity and can be revoked at any time. The existence of a dating relationship between the persons involved, or the fact of past sexual relations between them, by itself cannot be interpreted as consent. Consent is not effectively given if force, threats, intimidation or coercion were involved, or if a person is incapable of giving consent due to use of drugs or alcohol, or due to intellectual or other disability.

In those cases where individuals have been involved in incidents of sexual harassment while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, the University will not pursue disciplinary actions against those involved (or against a witness) for their improper use of alcohol or drugs (e.g. underage drinking, or under the influence at a campus function). Amnesty is intended to support the practice of individuals reporting incidents of prohibited discriminatory harassment, sexual harassment, and other violations of this policy, and to protect an individual’s safety. Individuals experiencing or witnessing violations of this policy while themselves violating another University policy (for example, the University policy concerning alcohol and other drug use), are encouraged to report the violations of this policy that they experienced or witnessed.