MIT makes a variety of options available so each individual may choose an option best suited to their situation. The chart below outlines the different methods and purposes of reporting. Reaching out to the IDHR Office does not trigger an automatic formal investigation. “Reporting” simply means letting either the IDHR Office or MIT Police know something has occurred. More information is available about individual reporting options below, including how you would report, who would have access to your report information, and what the next steps could be. These reporting options lead to different pathways including no action, information only, supportive measures, informal resolution processes, and the formal investigation process.
MIT encourages individuals to seek assistance for incidents involving discrimination, discriminatory harassment, or bias. The Institute Discrimination and Harassment Response Office can provide individuals with referrals to resources, informal remedies and accommodations, and support in deciding to pursue a formal investigation process. We recognize the decision to report is not easy and are committed to ensuring that everyone understands the options available to them and the various ways MIT can address harm.
IDHR Office
You may want to connect with IDHR because:
- You want to know more about your resolution options and resources
- You want MIT to know something is happening that is making you uncomfortable/unsafe
- You want access to supportive measures
- You want access to informal/adaptable dispute resolution processes
- You would like to file a formal complaint
| Contact IDHR directly at idhr@mit.edu or phone at 617-715-4080 | An IDHR staff member will contact you to schedule a time to meet or talk. IDHR can provide information on available resources, (on or off-campus); discuss the informal/alternative resolution process, and explain the procedure for formal investigations. |
| Submit the IDHR Incident Report Form | You can submit this form to let IDHR know about an incident of discrimination or discriminatory harassment. You may submit this form anonymously. This is not a formal complaint. |
| File a Formal Complaint | A formal complaint begins the complaint resolution process outlined in the COD Rules. IDHR handles formal complaints of discrimination or discriminatory harassment. |
MIT Police:
You may want to connect MIT Police because:
- You need immediate resources and/or emergency assistance.
- You are submitting the online form anonymously for data tracking purposes.
- You want to learn more about pressing criminal charges.
- You want a court-issued restraining order or anti-harassment prevention order.
| MIT Police | The MIT Police are the primary contact for all emergencies on campus. You should contact the MIT police with any allegations of criminal activity. You can call 616-253-1212 for emergencies or 617-253-2996 for non-emergencies. |
Confidential Resources:
In addition to reporting options, MIT has designated confidential resources with whom you can speak, regardless of your decision to report. These confidential resources include Violence Prevention and Response, MIT Health, MIT Mental Health, the Ombuds Office, and the MIT Chaplains.
Offices designated “confidential” will not report any information to the IDHR Office. These conversations are kept strictly confidential and, except in rare, extreme circumstances (including imminent risk of harm to self or others), nothing will be shared without your permission. For contact information for confidential resources, click here.
Details about Reporting Options:
To learn more about each reporting option, including what happens when you report and who has access to your information, please see below:
Reach Out to IDHR Directly
How do I do this?
You can reach out to srankin@mit.edu, idhr@mit.edu, or call 617-715-4080.
What happens when I do this?
When you reach out to the IDHR Office directly, someone from IDHR will contact you and ask if you’d like to schedule a time to meet or talk by phone. This meeting will serve as an opportunity for you to learn more about the full range of resources and options available to you. Additionally, you can talk with our staff about supportive measures including academic support, housing transfers, and no-contact orders, or to learn more about the informal resoloution and formal investigation processes.
Who has access to this information?
The IDHR Office staff will have access to this information and may share it, if appropriate, with the Bias Response Team. This information will not be shared publicly, nor will it be published in any external documents of IDHR.
Fill out the IDHR Online Incident Reporting Form
How do I do this?
You can access the non-emergency online incident reporting form here. This form is for all members of the MIT community, including students, staff, and faculty. You can report any incident of bias, harassment, or discrimination, including gender-based discrimination such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking. This form also provides the option of filling it out and submitting it anonymously.
What happens when I do this?
When you fill out the online incident reporting form, the data within the form is sent directly to IDHR Office staff. If the report was filed anonymously, the Office will not be able to contact you. If you choose to fill out the form anonymously, you may find it helpful to keep a record of the details of the incident. If the report was filed with contact information and you requested follow-up, IDHR Office staff will contact you and ask if you would like to schedule a time to meet or talk by phone. This meeting will serve as an opportunity to learn more about the full range of resources and options available to you. Additionally, you can talk with our staff about supportive measures including academic support, housing transfers, and no-contact orders, or to learn more about the informal resolution and formal investigation processes.
Who has access to this information?
IDHR Office staff will have access to this information and may share it, if appropriate, with the Bias Response Team. This information will not be shared publicly, nor will it be published in any external documents of IDHR.
Connect with the IDHR Office via Private Resource (Responsible Employee)
How do I do this?
Specifically in the context of gender-based discrimination including sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking, MIT has designated a category of employees as Private Resources. These include most employees including Residential Area Directors, the staff of Student Support Services, the Office of Graduate Education, Faculty, Teaching Assistants, and the Deputy Title IX Coordinators. We recognize it may not feel comfortable to contact our office directly or fill out an online form, so you may choose to speak first with a Private Resource, otherwise known as a Responsible Employee at MIT.
What happens when I do this?
Private Resources, otherwise known as “Responsible Employees,” have a duty to inform IDHR if they learn of an incident related to gender-based discrimination. (They will inform us by email or phone.) One of the Institute Title IX Coordinators will then send an email to the individual who experienced harm, asking if they would like to meet and learn more about resources and reporting options.The individual can also decide whether they would like to meet with IDHR. To learn more about Responsible Employees, click here.
Who has access to this information?
The Private Resource will know any information you have shared with them. When they reach out to the IDHR Office, they must share any details they have regarding your identity, the identity of the alleged perpetrator (if you’ve shared it), and the time and location of the incident, if shared. IDHR Office staff will have access to this information. This information will not be shared publicly, nor will it be published in any external documents of IDHR.
Fill out the IDHR Online Formal Complaint Form
How do I do this?
You can access the form to file a Formal Complaint Against a Student here. This form is for all members of the MIT community, including students, staff, and faculty. You can report any incident of bias, harassment, or discrimination, including gender-based discrimination such as sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, and stalking.
What happens when I do this?
When you fill out the online Formal Complaint form, the data within the form is sent directly to IDHR Office staff. The IDHR Manager of Investigations, or designee, will contact you and ask to schedule a time to meet to provide additional information about the formal investigation processes. If you have not already met with IDHR, the IDHR Director or Case Manager will also contact you to discuss supportive measures (including academic support, housing transfers, and no-contact orders), and informal/Alternative Dispute Resolution options.
Who has access to this information?
IDHR Office staff will have access to this information and may share it, if appropriate, to implement supportive measures. This information will not be shared publicly, nor will it be published in any external documents of IDHR.
Reach Out to the MIT Police Directly
How do I do this?
You can choose to make a report to the Institute to pursue resolution under the MIT process, and/or you can choose to make a report to law enforcement – both options may be pursued simultaneously. An individual who chooses to pursue possible criminal action can contact law enforcement directly. An advocate from Violence Prevention & Response (VPR) is available to assist in contacting law enforcement (VPR’s 24-hour hotline is 617-253-2300). Law enforcement can be contacted at the following numbers:
- 911 (for emergencies)
- MIT Police (617-253-1212 or 100 from any MIT phone)
- Boston Police Department (617-343-4400)
- Cambridge Police Department (617-349-3381)
Fill Out the MIT Police Online Form
How do I do this?
You can access the MIT Police Anonymous Sexual Assault Online Reporting Form here. At the end of the form, you may include your contact information if you would like the MIT Police to follow up with you.
What happens when I do this?
The MIT Police may use this information to determine whether MIT has a legal requirement to issue a timely warning to the MIT community, to assist with legally required statistical record-keeping, and to respond to any other legal obligation.
Inquiries or complaints concerning the application of Title IX may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, idhr@mit.edu, and/or the United States Department of Education:
United States Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights, Region I
5 Post Office Square, 8th Floor
Boston, MA 02109-3921
617-289-0111
OCR.Boston@ed.gov