If you have experienced sexual assault or other violence, 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 filing a formal complaint with the college.
FOR IMMEDIATE HELP
Emergency assistance
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.
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 Title IX Coordinator.
Medical care
Go to Northfield Hospital at 2000 North Ave.
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 five 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.
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).
Guidance and support
Contact St. Olaf SARN (St. Olaf Sexual Assault Resource Network — confidential) 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.
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.
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.
AFTER YOUR IMMEDIATE NEEDS HAVE BEEN MET
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 tell the college what happened to you. The college can take steps to ensure your safety and the safety of others, such as rearranging class schedules, reassigning residence halls, enforcing no-contact orders, and preventing retaliation. We can also help you access resources to help you recover from your experience. If you want to start by talking to a person rather than looking at a website, you can contact the St. Olaf Title IX Case Manager, Kari Hohn (khohn@stolaf.edu, 507-786-3465), Title IX Coordinator, Jo Beld (beld@stolaf.edu, 507-786-3632), or any other member of the St. Olaf Title IX Team.
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.
Consider requesting a college investigation, 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 sexual 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.