2025-2026 CATALOG AND STUDENT HANDBOOK ACADEMIC INFORMATION AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES 145 ALL CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY ADDENDUM that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling; and “reasonable person” means a person under similar circumstances and with similar identities to the victim. Rasmussen considers stalking to include “cyberstalking,” which is stalking conducted with technology such as computers or mobile devices, often occurring on or delivered through the Internet, e-mail, or text messages. • Standard of Evidence: Preponderance of the evidence standard will be used for Title IX proceedings and is applied equally to both students and employees. The burden of proof is met when it is more likely than not that the alleged misconduct occurred. • Unwelcome Conduct: Conduct is unwelcome if an individual did not request or invite it and regarded the conduct as undesirable or offensive. Acquiescence in the conduct or the failure to complain does not always mean that the conduct was welcome. • Victim/Survivor: These terms are used together throughout this policy to respect individuals who may identify as a victim, survivor, or both. A victim/ survivor is comparable to a Complainant for purposes of this policy. Reporting Policies and Protocols Reports of Title IX incidents can be made to the Title IX Coordinator (titleix@ rasmussen.edu) or anonymously via the online reporting system (http://www. rasmussen.edu/studentlife/title-ix/). Individuals may also report incidents to local law enforcement. Rasmussen encourages individuals to report incidents promptly. Anonymous reporting is permitted, and an inquiry will be initiated to the extent possible based on the information provided. Assistance Following an Alleged Title IX Offense Rasmussen may offer supportive measures to the Complainant and Respondent, as necessary, during any criminal or Rasmussen-led investigation into a Title IX incident report and before the final determination of any Rasmussen-led investigation. To the extent Rasmussen does not routinely offer services that may constitute appropriate supportive measures, Rasmussen shall make a good faith effort to enter into memoranda of understanding with support services agencies as may be necessary to meet Rasmussen’s Title IX obligations. All such memoranda and activities thereunder shall comply with the requirements under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g) and its implementing regulations (34 C.F.R. Pt. 99), as each may be amended from time to time. Any Complainant of a Title IX incident should be aware of the options to seek treatment for injuries, preventative treatment for sexually transmitted diseases/ infections, and other services. Complainants are encouraged to discuss with health care providers, Rasmussen officials, and first responders the option of seeking medical treatment and are encouraged to preserve evidence, which may be necessary to prove a crime has occurred, or to obtain a protective order. A list of medical facilities near each campus at which a Complainant can obtain a medical forensic examination can be found at: https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/title-ix/. A Complainant of an alleged Title IX incident may report such incident to law enforcement agencies or Rasmussen employees, including the Title IX Coordinator. Complainants may, at their choosing, (a) directly notify law enforcement authorities, (b) be assisted by Rasmussen in notifying law enforcement authorities, or (c) decline to notify such authorities. Complainants also may be able to obtain protective, no contact, restraining, or similar lawful orders issued by an appropriate court. A Complainant or Respondent may contact directly, or request assistance from Rasmussen personnel to access fair and respectful healthcare, mental health, counseling, and advocacy services that are available in the Complainant’s or Respondent’s area. A list of services can be found at: https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/title-ix/. Rasmussen shall notify the Complainant and the Respondent of their respective options to avoid contact with the other party and change, as appropriate, academic, professional, and extracurricular activities as well as their respective working situation. Rasmussen shall ensure that the Complainant and the Respondent are aware of (a) their respective Title IX rights, (b) available support services and resources, and (c) the right to report an alleged crime to local law enforcement. A non-exhaustive list of available assistance options is found at https://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/title-ix/#navigation-university- authorities. State-specific Information. For Complainants located in Illinois, Rasmussen will make available confidential advisors to provide emergency and ongoing support to survivors of sexual violence. For Complainants located in Minnesota, if the Complainant subsequently chooses to transfer to another postsecondary institution after reporting a sexual assault to Rasmussen, the Complainant may, upon request, receive information from Rasmussen about resources for victims/ survivors of sexual assault at the institution to which the victim/survivor is consent. Silence or an absence of resistance does not imply consent. Consent to engage in sexual activity with one person does not imply consent to engage in sexual activity with another person. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. Coercion, force, or threat of either invalidates consent. • Dating Violence: Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. The existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on consideration of the length of the relationship, the type of the relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship. • Disciplinary Sanctions: Consequences imposed on a Respondent following a determination under Title IX that the Respondent violated Rasmussen’s prohibition on sex discrimination. • Domestic Violence: A felony or misdemeanor crime committed by a person who: (a) Is a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim under the family or domestic violence laws of the jurisdiction of Rasmussen, or a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim; (b) Is cohabitating, or has cohabitated, with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner; (c) Shares a child in common with the victim; or (d) Commits acts against a youth or adult victim who is protected from those acts under the family or domestic violence laws of the jurisdiction. • Grievance: A written request to Rasmussen that objectively can be understood as a request for Rasmussen to investigate and make a determination about alleged discrimination under Title IX or its regulations. • Online Reporting System: Rasmussen provides an Online Reporting System to receive reported incidents under this policy. This reporting system allows for anonymous submissions and is available on the Rasmussen website at: http://www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/title-ix/. • Respondent: An individual who has been reported to be the perpetrator of conduct that could constitute sexual harassment under Title IX. • Retaliation: Any adverse action taken against an individual for reporting misconduct or participating in a Title IX investigation. • Sex-based Harassment: Sex-based harassment is a form of sex discrimination and means Sexual Harassment and other harassment on the basis of sex, including on the bases of sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, and pregnancy or related conditions that satisfies one or more of the following: – Quid pro quo harassment. An employee, agent, or other person authorized by Rasmussen to provide an aid, benefit, or service under Rasmussen’s education program or activity explicitly or impliedly conditioning the provision of such an aid, benefit, or service on a person’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct; – Hostile environment harassment. Unwelcome sex-based conduct that, based on the totality of the circumstances, is subjectively and objectively offensive and is so severe or pervasive that it limits or denies a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from Rasmussen’s education program or activity (i.e., creates a hostile environment). Whether a hostile environment has been created is a fact-specific inquiry that includes consideration of the following: (i) The degree to which the conduct affected the Complainant’s ability to access Rasmussen’s education program or activity; (ii) The type, frequency, and duration of the conduct; (iii) The parties’ ages, roles within Rasmussen’s education program or activity, previous interactions, and other factors about each party that may be relevant to evaluating the effects of the conduct; (iv) The location of the conduct and the context in which the conduct occurred; and (v) Other sex-based harassment in the recipient’s education program or activity; – Specific offenses. “Sexual assault”, “dating violence”, “domestic violence”, or “stalking” as defined herein. • Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome conduct based on sex that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to an education program or activity. • Sexual Misconduct: Unwelcomed conduct that includes sexual harassment, nonconsensual distribution of sexual images, sexual extortion, nonconsensual dissemination of a deepfake depicting intimate parts or sexual acts, sex trafficking, VAWA crimes of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, domestic violence, and stalking. • Stalking: Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to (a) fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others, or (b) suffer substantial emotional distress. As used in this definition, “course of conduct” means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts in which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means, follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens or communicates to or about a person, or interferes with a person’s property; “substantial emotional distress” means significant mental suffering or anguish
