The IDHR director (or designee) may take supportive measures/actions intended to address the short-term effects of harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation.
MIT encourages individuals to seek assistance for incidents involving discrimination, discriminatory harassment, or bias. The Institute Discrimination and Harassment Response Office (IDHR) can provide individuals with information about resources, supportive measures, voluntary remedies, reporting options, and resolution pathways.
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 serves as a central resource for the entire MIT community for concerns related to discrimination, discriminatory harassment, and bias. This centralization is part of an Institute-wide effort to streamline informal and formal complaint processes to ensure that a dedicated and well-trained team is available to address incidents and establish centrally tracked incident reports at MIT. Human Resources and managers across the institute are required to consult with our office if concerns about this sort of conduct are brought to their attention and, when there is a formal complaint, it is our office that investigates under the Mind and Hand Book and Committee on Discipline (“COD”) Rules and MIT Policies and Procedures, Section 9.8.
After IDHR learns that an individual has experienced or may have experienced discrimination, discriminatory harassment, sexual misconduct (including sexual assault, sexual harassment), intimate partner violence, stalking, and other unwanted contact, the IDHR director, or designee, will invite the impacted party to meet to discuss resources, supportive measures, reporting options, voluntary remedies, and resolution pathways. While individuals are encouraged, they are not required, to meet with IDHR. Individuals may bring an advisor to this meeting. Any notes taken by the IDHR director, or designee, will become part of the case file.
IDHR wants all community members to be able to fully access the Title IX process and resources. Please contact the IDHR director, or designee, if you need an accommodation based on a disability.
If an impacted party elects not to meet with IDHR, IDHR will electronically send a letter that summarizes the information that would have been reviewed during a meeting.
Supportive Measures
The Institute will offer and implement appropriate and reasonable supportive measures to individuals participating in the Institute’s educational programs or activities upon notice of alleged discriminatory harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation.
Supportive measures are non-disciplinary, non-punitive individualized services offered as appropriate, as reasonably available, and without fee or charge to the parties to restore or preserve access to the Institute’s education program or activity, including measures designed to protect the safety of all parties or the Institute’s educational environment, and/or deter discriminatory harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation.
The IDHR director, or designee, promptly makes supportive measures available to the parties upon receiving notice, including incident reports, or a complaint. At the time that supportive measures are offered to individuals, the Institute will inform the Complainant, in writing, that they may file a formal complaint with the Institute either at that time or in the future, if they have not done so already for certain allegations. Supportive measures are available whether or not an individual elects to file a formal complaint. The IDHR director, or designee, works with the Complainant to ensure that their wishes are taken into account with respect to the supportive measures that are planned and implemented.
To respect the privacy of the parties, the Institute will limit notification of supportive measures to those who implement the actions or who are otherwise affected by the actions. The Institute will implement measures in a way to minimize academic impact on the parties and in a manner that does not unreasonably burden the other party.
Supportive measures may be offered, as appropriate, to either or both the Complainant or Respondent prior to an investigation or while an investigation is pending.
These actions may include, but are not limited to:
- Referral to counseling, medical, and/or other healthcare services
- Referral to MyLife Services
- Referral to community-based service providers
- Visa and immigration assistance
- Student financial aid counseling
- Education to the community, community subgroup(s), and opportunities for voluntary individual education
- Assistance with altering campus housing assignment(s)
- Assistance with altering work arrangements for employees or student-employees
- Safety planning
- Providing campus safety escorts
- Providing transportation accommodations referrals
- Implementing contact limitations (no contact orders) between the parties
- Academic support, extensions of deadlines, or other course/program-related adjustments
- Class schedule modifications, withdrawals, or leaves of absence
- Trespass, Persona Non Grata (PNG), timely warnings (issued by MIT Police)
- Increased security and monitoring of certain areas of the campus
- Any other actions deemed appropriate by the IDHR director or designee
Violations of no contact orders will be referred to appropriate student or employee conduct processes for enforcement.
The IDHR director, or designee, will assess the need for a party to receive supportive measures and will ensure that any supportive measures are individualized and appropriate based on the information gathered. The IDHR director, or designee, or designee, will communicate with the Complainant and Respondent throughout the investigation to ensure that supportive measures are necessary and effective based on the parties’ evolving needs.
For Allegations Against Students: In addition, regardless of whether a complaint is brought before the COD, IDHR is authorized to take immediate actions that it determines are necessary and appropriate to respond to concerns of discrimination and discriminatory harassment, including behaviors related to sexual misconduct (including harassment), intimate partner violence, stalking, or other forms of gender-based discrimination. Possible actions include non-disciplinary, non-punitive supportive measures designed to restore or preserve access to MIT’s education program or activity. In response to a complaint of sexual misconduct, including Title IX Sexual Harassment. MIT can act to remove a respondent entirely or partially from their education program or activities on an emergency basis when an individualized safety and risk analysis has determined that an immediate threat to the physical health or safety of any student or other individual justifies removal. This risk analysis is performed by IDHR in conjunction with appropriate Institute officials. In the event of such emergency removal, the respondent will be given notice and an opportunity to challenge the decision immediately following the removal.