Immediate Help

Title IX
Immediate Help

If you have experienced sexual assault or another form of sexual misconduct, it may be hard to know what to do or where to go. Your first step is to get to a safe place. Then you can contact any of the resources listed below for immediate, trained help, including assistance in your decision-making about seeking medical attention, reporting to law enforcement, and pursuing a formal investigation through the college.

When a St. Olaf student, employee or guest reports any form of sex-based harassment, the College’s main priority is to protect the safety and well-being of the members of our community. In order to do so, we need individuals who report sex-based harassment and those who participate in investigations into such reports to be honest and candid about the circumstance surrounding the report. We do not want concerns about the College’s alcohol and illicit drugs policy or COVID-19 community standards to cause individuals to either avoid reporting or to provide incomplete or inaccurate information during an investigation into such a report. Therefore, individuals who report sex-based harassment and individuals who participate as a party or witness in an investigation into allegations of sex-based harassment will not be disciplined by the College for violations of its Policies on Alcohol and Illicit Drugs and/or COVID-19 community standards that are disclosed during the reporting process or as a result of an investigation.

Click on the tabs below for more information about each option/resource.

If You Are in Northfield:

Dial 911 from any cell phone or land line to reach the Northfield Police.

The police can provide immediate response for your protection, help you obtain medical care, and arrange for victim advocate services. You can get help from the police even if you are not sure that what happened to you was a crime. Contacting the police does not obligate you to file a police report, although they can help you with that as well.

Call St. Olaf Public Safety 24/7 at 507-786-3666 to have a campus public safety officer dispatched directly to you.

In addition to providing immediate physical protection, Public Safety can provide transportation to off-campus emergency medical care.

If You Are Out of the Country:

Call the 911 equivalent for the country you are in if outside the U.S.

Call the college’s International and Off-Campus Studies crisis line 24/7 at 507-321-2100 if you are studying off campus.

IOS will guide you through your resources and options, including helping you determine who else should be notified of your experience (such as the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, local law enforcement, or the program liaison at the institution where you are studying), and how to report to the St. Olaf Director of Equal Opportunity.

Northfield Hospital

Go to Northfield Hospital at 2000 North Avenue.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) are on call to perform a special exam that includes the collection of evidence. They can also evaluate the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and provide resources to help with recovery. Although DNA evidence may be collected up to seven days after a sexual assault, it is most likely to yield positive results the sooner it is collected. Choosing to be examined by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner can provide vital evidence and protect your health and safety. It does not obligate you to pursue criminal charges; evidence can be stored for up to three months while you consider your options. St. Olaf Public Safety (507-786-3666) can provide transportation to Northfield Hospital.

St. Olaf Health Service

Contact the St. Olaf Health Service at 507-786-3063 (confidential) for an appointment M–F during the academic year.

The Health Service is staffed by a certified nurse practitioner and is open Monday-Friday during the academic year. Call 507-786-3063 for an appointment. The Health Service site also has a list of additional community health providers available to students whenever the Service is closed (e.g., during the summer and most break times during the academic year).

SARN (St. Olaf Sexual Assault Resource Network — confidential)

Contact St. Olaf SARN at 507-786-3777 or sarn@stolaf.edu.

SARN is a St. Olaf volunteer organization with state-certified student advocates who can provide a wide range of confidential services, both for crisis intervention and for ongoing support. SARN advocates can help you process your experience, determine what resources and support you need, review your options for reporting, and navigate college policies and procedures.

Faribault HOPE Center

Contact the Faribault HOPE Center 24/7 at 800-607-2330.

HOPE Center advocates provide crisis intervention, support counseling, information about options, help with protection planning, assistance with systems, emergency transportation, and referral to other resources.

National Sexual Assault Hotline

Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline, 24/7 at 800-656-4673 or online.

This hotline connects callers with trained, state-certified first-responders in cases of sexual assault. You do not have to identify yourself, and neither the telephone service nor the online service collects identifying information. The Hotline site also provides extensive information on what to do immediately following a sexual assault, how to support someone who has been assaulted, the effects of sexual assault, and steps to promote recovery.

Learn About Your Options

Report to the college so you can receive ongoing support and continue your education in a safe and non-discriminatory environment.

Reporting to the college is not the same thing as reporting to law enforcement or initiating a formal investigation with the college. Even if you don’t want to report to law enforcement or initiate an investigation, you are strongly encouraged to speak with the Director of Equal Opportunity about your experience. The college can take steps to ensure your safety and the safety of others, such as rearranging class schedules, reassigning residence halls, enforcing limited-contact directives, and preventing retaliation. We can also help you access resources to help you in the aftermath of your experience. If you want to start by talking to a person rather than looking at a website, you can contact any member of the St. Olaf Title IX Team or email titleix@stolaf.edu.

Get Support

Receive ongoing support no matter when or where your experience of harassment, misconduct, or assault occurred.

People who have been sexually assaulted have different kinds of needs following their experience — but they all have needs. There are many resources available to support you, both on campus and in the community. You can access them at any time, even if your experience happened weeks, months, or years ago.

Engage with Title IX

Consider requesting a college investigation through the Equal Opportunity Office, which will result in a formal investigation and, potentially, disciplinary action if the person who committed the harassment, misconduct, or assault is a St. Olaf student or employee.

If the person who harmed you through sex-based harassment, sexual assault, or other form of sexual misconduct is a St. Olaf student, faculty member, or staff member, you are encouraged to consider requesting a college investigation into the misconduct so the college can launch a formal investigation. If the person is found responsible, that individual will be subject to disciplinary action that may include expulsion or termination of employment.