SGBM information for off-campus study
Sexual and gender-based misconduct (SGBM) is a reality for students regardless of where they are studying. It is an issue we are fully committed to responding to both on and off campus. Skidmore has developed the following policy and resources regarding any sexual or gender-based misconduct that might occur when a Skidmore student is studying off campus.
In all cases, Skidmore’s first concern is providing immediate support to ensure your safety and well-being. With this in mind, we have complied a list of local resources for the programs our students participate in. Also remember: Skidmore’s on-campus support resources are available to you regardless of where you are studying. For example, this website on what to do if you have experienced sexual or gender-based misconduct is a great resource for all of our students around the world.
Obviously, local resources will vary depending on the country and community you are studying in. Some of these resources are confidential; others are not. Please be sure to understand the responsibility of the person or organization you are working with in terms of mandatory reporting. For example, we suggest you report the incident to someone on the staff abroad who you feel can offer the guidance and support you need to make a plan to move forward. However, it is highly unlikely that any staff abroad will be able to maintain confidentiality—meaning they will have to report the incident. This doesn’t mean you can’t confide in them or ask for help; it just means you won’t be able to ask them not to say anything to the program or Skidmore’s Title IX coordinator. Even though program staff and other non-confidential resources cannot maintain confidentiality, they will endeavor to maintain your privacy to the greatest extent possible. (for more information regarding privacy and confidentiality, see the SGBM policy)
Not only are resources specific to the program location, the policies regarding reporting may differ as well.
Skidmore Programs
Policies for any Skidmore program are the same as they are on campus. You are held to the same conduct expectations that we have on campus. Policies on sexual and gender-based misconduct can be found on this website.
If for any reason you feel you have been involved in an incident of sexual or gender-based misconduct, please refer to this site for information regarding prohibited conduct, how to access support services, your rights as both a reporting and responding student and how to report the incident. Again, participants on Skidmore programs must follow Skidmore's policies. If you choose to report an incident, we encourage you to work with the local Skidmore study-abroad program staff (remember they cannot maintain confidentiality and must report incidents to the Title IX coordinator at Skidmore). They will be able to offer guidance regarding local response resources and reporting protocols and on-site accommodations.
If you are a responding student, meaning an incident report is brought against you while you are on a Skidmore program, you will be held to the standards and adjudication structure of Skidmore College.
Non-Skidmore Programs
If you are participating on a non-Skidmore program, you are expected to follow Skidmore’s policies and the host program’s policies. Yes, you will be expected to understand and follow both sets of policies. It is your responsibility to learn more about the program’s conduct expectations—not knowing the policies is not an excuse for not following them.
If for any reason you feel you have been involved in an incident of sexual or gender-based misconduct, the Skidmore on-campus support resources are available to you from a distance. However, your best resource for immediate local support is the program staff on site. Because the program’s policies are also relevant, it is a good idea to work with the study-abroad program staff to understand what you can expect in terms of response and reporting. The program staff can also help determine what—if any—accommodations you might need to help keep you safe. This could be access to confidential victim services, access to medical assistance, help with reporting to police (only if you chose to do so), potential housing changes, academic accommodations, etc.
Remember: If you want to speak to a confidential support person—that is, someone who is not required to report to the program or Skidmore’s Title IX coordinator—you will need to specifically ask for someone who can be confidential. Most program staff will be required by law to report any incidents. But they should be able to guide you to local resources that can help without having to report. Regardless of whether or not you choose to report to the program or to local police, your safety is our primary concern. For some programs, access to certain resources (like mental health counseling) may entail a fee. We have set up a loan program to provide both reporting and responding students access to funding so they may readily access these services.
If you do want to report the incident, work directly with the overseas study abroad staff. They will report all incidents to Skidmore. The Title IX coordinator at Skidmore will then follow up with you about the incident and work with you and the program abroad to offer necessary support, guidance and resolution.
If an incident report is brought against you while you are on a non-Skidmore program, you will be held to the standards and adjudication structure of the program and of Skidmore College. A responding student (alleged offender) will be held to the sanctions imposed by the host program. The host program will notify Skidmore of these sanctions in a timely manner. A responding student could also be subject to additional action based on Skidmore’s policy. The Title IX coordinator will review the case based on Skidmore policy. If merited, additional sanctions could be imposed.
In all cases, please refer to Skidmore’s website on sexual and gender-based misconduct for policies, resources and guidance.