The Journey to Healing
As we have mentioned numerous times, healing after an incident of relationship violence, sexual assault, or sexual misconduct is often a journey with many twisting and winding roads. While many can accompany students on this journey, only the individual student can walk the path to true healing.
Gonzaga is committed to providing many resources and support options to students. As a University, though, we are sometimes limited in the services we can provide. This is why we partner so closely with off campus services.
Below you will find a list of things the University can do to help those who have reported sexual misconduct, and some of our limitations.
What the University Can Do: |
| Help you file a Campus Security or law enforcement report |
| Help you get medical attention at the Health Center on campus, or an off campus facility where you can get medical attention and have the option of having evidence collected; we can arrange for free transportation to one of these facilities |
| Provide information about support, resources, and options on and off campus |
| Get you connected to counseling services on and/or off campus |
| Give limited information about legal processes and connect you to an advocate at Lutheran Community Services or the YWCA who can explain legal options more in-depth |
| Provide information about the University’s judicial processes and what to expect throughout the process |
| Promise to keep the information you share in confidence, meaning that it will only be passed on if essential and only then with a very limited number of University administrators who have an educational need to know |
| Alert you when your needs exceed the services that University personnel can provide or the roles University personnel have |
| Talk with your parents or friends once a waiver is signed |
What the University Cannot Do: |
| File a Security or law enforcement report on your behalf or force you do to do a report with Security or law enforcement; the only exception is for persons who are minors. In the case of minors, the University is obligated to report to to police or other agencies outside the University. |
| Tell you what you should do next or make decisions for you |
| Serve as a therapist or counselor. Only trained counselors in our Counseling Center can fulfill this role within the Center’s guidelines |
| Give legal advice, complete legal documents for you, or speak to a judge/attorney on your behalf |
| Promise that a University judicial hearing or resolution will end in the outcome you desire |
| Promise complete confidentiality; the only way to have complete confidentiality is to use one of the Confidential Resources and Support options as listed in this guide |
| Work beyond the scope of the University’s systems or the role of University personnel |
| Talk to your parents or friends without your consent |
If students find themselves struggling with a limitation, we encourage the student to reach out to one of the support services on campus so we can look into other ways that we can meet student needs.
We want to help.
