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The following information (when known) should be included in the report:

• date and time of the incident
• description of the incident and behavior(s) that occurred
• name(s), address(es), and phone number(s), of individual(s) involved, if known
• name(s), address(es), and phone number(s) of any witness(es)
• name and contact information of the person making the report (reports submitted anonymously do not need to include this)

The NSU Office of Public Safety and the Office of Residential Life and Housing also generate reports of incidents reported to them, and while these reports may initiate an investigation, it is always preferred to get a report from the victim or someone close to the victim. If a victim experiences trauma from writing a summary of the incident, an appropriate university official may prepare a draft of a written statement based on a verbal account by the victim, which the victim can then review for accuracy.

All reports of sexual misconduct will be investigated by specially trained and designated NSU officials, with oversight as appropriate from the university Title IX coordinator.

The Title IX Coordinator (or designee) provides coordination of services, options, and information to those affected by sexual violence (and other forms of sexual misconduct). Reports can be submitted online directly to the Title IX Coordinator. These are reviewed during business hours and then the Title IX Coordinator will reach out to any known victim(s) to offer resources, assistance, and information about rights and options in writing, usually via the individual's NSU email address. Persons needing immediate assistance can contact NSU Public Safety, The Center for Student Counseling & Well-Being, Residence Life staff on call, the Nancy J. Cotterman Center, or the free and confidential national sexual assault hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673). 

If there appears to be a potential threat to the campus or a member of the campus community or a crime that occurred on campus, the Title IX Coordinator may be obligated to report that information to NSU Public Safety. The Title IX Coordinator will collaborate with NSU Public Safety to ensure that a victim's identity or other personal information about a victim is maintained as private (so long as any threat can still be mitigated), such as when reporting annual crime statistics or in sending timely warnings or emergency notifications. The Title IX Coordinator (and all other NSU employees) are also required to report incidents involving a minor to the state child abuse hotline.

Public Safety is the university entity designated to receive reports of incidents affecting the campus. If the incident may constitute a crime that occurred in the jurisdiction of the Davie Police Department, the Davie Police will also respond. If a crime occurred off-campus or outside of the city of Davie, Public Safety can assist in locating and contacting the appropriate law enforcement for that jurisdiction.

When public safety or police officers arrive to take a report, they can assist the victim in obtaining medical assistance and with other immediate needs, but their focus (pending no safety concerns) is on learning what happened and conducting an investigation as to whether a crime occurred.  They will likely ask for a brief account of what happened, a physical description of the assailant, and any information about where the assailant might be (if known). It is up to a victim how much information he or she wishes to share. For example, a victim who has experienced trauma may prefer to have rest from one or two sleep cycles to mentally organize information about what has happened before participating in a more detailed interview. However, the police will want to get as much information as they can, as soon as they can, so they can do their part to investigate what occurred.

In some cases, a reported perpetrator may pose a threat to the NSU community, and NSU Public Safety may need to notify the campus community through a timely warning or an emergency notification. NSU Public Safety will collaborate with the Title IX Coordinator to ensure that information about a victim's identity is maintained as private. NSU Public Safety will also ensure that any other publicly available records, such as the campus crime log or Annual Security Report, do not contain any identifiable information about a victim. 

When an NSU employee receives a report of sexual violence (which includes dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking), from a victim or from a third party, the employee is required to report to the Title IX coordinator of the information that has been reported (including any known name[s] of victims or potentially responsible parties) to ensure NSU can offer victims information about their rights, resources, and options for reporting and resolving the incident. It is ideal to report using the online form as soon as reasonably possible.

NSU employees should also provide the Title IX coordinator’s contact information and encourage the victim to seek confidential assistance for medical concerns and counseling. NSU employees must take the above steps for incidents that they observe directly, as well as incidents they learn about indirectly, whether they occurred on-campus or off-campus.  

NSU has designated most of its employees as “responsible employees,” which means that these employees must report to the Title IX coordinator all relevant details about the reported sexual violence shared by the victim.  This will include the names of the victim and individual(s) reported to have engaged in the misconduct; any witnesses; and any other relevant facts, such as the date, time, and specific location of the reported incident. The university recommends that victims of any form of sexual misconduct report directly to the Title IX coordinator, when possible, to avoid having to share information multiple times. 

To the extent possible, information reported to a responsible employee will be shared only with those few people responsible for handling the university’s response to the report. Unless there is a serious and immediate threat, a responsible employee should not share information reported by the victim with law enforcement without the victim’s consent or unless the victim has also reported the incident to law enforcement.

Before a victim reveals any information to a responsible employee, the employee should ensure that the victim understands the employee’s reporting obligations—and, if the victim wants to maintain confidentiality, direct the victim to confidential resources. If the victim wants to tell the responsible employee what happened but also wants to maintain confidentiality or not pursue any action or investigation by the university, the employee should tell the victim that the university will consider the victim’s request, but cannot guarantee that the university will be able to honor it. In reporting the details of the incident to the Title IX coordinator, the responsible employee will also inform the coordinator of the victim’s request for confidentiality. Responsible employees will not pressure a victim to report or not report, but they are required to report incidents involving minors to the state child abuse hotline.

The university will review reports of sexual violence that are received anonymously and from third parties. In these cases, the Title IX Coordinator should be informed of the information and will attempt to communicate with a reported victim in a sensitive manner to ensure the reported victim has information about rights and options.