What Should I Do If This Happens to Me?

Report an Incident

Confidential Help is Available on Campus

• A member of the Hamilton College Counseling Center is on-call at all times. The Counselor On-Call can provide immediate crisis support and information about resources for survivors on and off campus.
• Contact the Counseling Center (24/7, 365 days a year) by calling 315-859-4340 
• This is a completely confidential service.  Confidential resources will not share any information with outside parties, except in very limited situations (e.g. minors, imminent danger). Hamilton's confidential resources are the College Counseling Center, the College Health Center, and the College Chaplain. All other Hamilton faculty, staff, coaches and residential advisors are obligated to report incidents of sexual violence to the Title IX coordinator. 

Immediate Confidential help is also available through YWCA Crisis Services by calling 315-797-7740

The YWCA Crisis Services Advocates are trained and available by phone or to accompany survivors to the hospital or the police. This service is confidential and is not connected with the College.

Medical attention should be sought as soon as possible following a sexual assault

Not all injuries are immediately apparent. Contact the Hamilton Student Health Service 315-859-4111; 8:30-4:30 M-F), Hamilton’s Emergency Medical Technicians (315-859-4000), or go to the hospital Emergency Room for medical services. Transportation to the hospital can be arranged by request through the Office of Campus Safety or Health Center.

For treatment of any major injuries and/or a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE), call Help Restore Hope Center or the Hamilton Title IX Coordinator to arrange a hospital visit.

• Help Restore Hope Center coordinates Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) services for medical attention (injuries from a sexual assault are not always immediately apparent) and collecting physical evidence (a “rape kit”) at a regional hospital. The College strongly encourages any individual who has experienced sexual violence to obtain a rape kit, which is critical: (1) to diagnose and treat the full extent of any injury or physical effect and (2) to properly collect and preserve evidence. There is a limited window of time (typically up to 72 to 96 hours) following an incident of sexual assault to preserve physical and other forms of evidence. Gathering such evidence does not commit an individual to pursuing legal action against the assailant, but does preserve that option. Although it may be difficult following a sexual assault, individuals who are considering or may consider legal action should try not to shower, rinse mouth, brush teeth or change clothes to allow for the maximum possible collection of evidence by a SANE nurse or other health care provider. The results of the SAFE exam will not be shared with on- or off-campus disciplinary authorities unless you choose to share them yourself. SANE services are coordinated through Help Restore Hope Center’s 24/7 hotline every Thursday at 6pm through Monday at 8am, Help Restore Hope can still provide resources and care outside of these times.

Report to the College’s Title IX Coordinator

Speak with Catherine Berryman, Director of Community Standards (Title IX Coordinator) to discuss on- and off-campus resources for support and receive information about pursuing a formal complaint through College procedures.

• Conversations will be kept as private as possible. The Title IX coordinator may be required to take some form of action in order to prevent further acts from occurring on Hamilton’s campus. See the Hamilton Sexual Misconduct Policy (Article VII, Section B) for more details. 

Pursue a Criminal Complaint 

Filing a police report does not obligate you to follow through with legal action but it does preserve physical evidence. This process can happen simultaneously with filing a complaint with the College.

• Contact Campus Safety at 315-859-4141 or the Title IX coordinator at 315-859-4020 to arrange a meeting with the New York State Police or the Oneida County Sheriff.
• Contact the New York State Police directly through the Campus Sexual Assault Victim Unit’s 24-hour hotline: 1-844-845-7269.