These FAQs are intended to guide students regarding academic support requests related to Title IX, prohibited sexual conduct, and pregnancy or related conditions.

What are academic supportive measures related to a Title IX matter? 

• Academic supportive measures related to a Title IX matter are designed to help and support students who are having difficulty meeting their academic obligations while involved in a Title IX reported matter.  
• These academic supportive measures pertain to situations that have been reported to the Title IX Office, are typically limited in time, and typically relate to pending/ongoing Title IX/sexual misconduct proceedings, such as a University investigation.  
• Students can receive support through a "report" to the Title IX office without filing a formal complaint. Issues which have not been reported to the Title IX Office do not qualify for Title IX academic supportive measures.
• Academic supportive measures may include, but are not limited to, short-term extensions on assignments or permission for a limited number of class absences while an investigation is in process.
• Late-semester requests are more difficult to implement and may be denied if the need was known earlier. Students are encouraged to submit requests for academic supportive measures within two weeks of recognizing the need.
• The Title IX Office may request documentation from a licensed healthcare provider to justify the need for academic adjustments, especially for long-term modifications.
• Academic supportive measures based on a Title IX reported matter are not an exemption from deadlines or course requirements. 

How are Title IX academic supportive measures requests handled?  

• Academic supportive measures will be administered in accordance with University and departmental policies, course requirements, and applicable legal or regulatory obligations.
• The Title IX Office works closely with the Division of Academic Affairs to identify academic supportive measures that allow the student to maintain academic progress.  Academic supportive measures may include short-term extensions or incompletes in courses and other degree requirements where appropriate, or short-term excused absences while the investigation is in progress. 
• If academic supportive measures related to a Title IX reported matter are deemed appropriate, academic affairs will work with the student, the course instructor, advisers, and department leadership to implement measures.
• Title IX may recommend providing a student with an "incomplete" if they are passing but unable to finish the class due to hardships related to a Title IX reported matter.
• Students requesting long-term academic modifications related to Title IX/sexual misconduct matters which involve a disability (for example, anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.) should register with Student Accessibility Services and request academic accommodations for disabilities through that process.
• Students should request adjustments based on other difficult personal circumstances directly from their instructor or the academic department.  

What are the key features of Title IX academic supportive measures? 

• A condition of being an enrolled student is the ability to meet the essential requirements of being a student.  Academic supportive measures cannot eliminate essential requirements. 
• These supportive measures must be “reasonable” and cannot compromise the essential academic requirements of a course or program of study. 
• Intermittent or extended absence, generally not to exceed two weeks of class, may be appropriate. 
• Students who cannot attend class in-person on a regular basis should be encouraged to take a leave of absence until they are able to meet the academic requirements of a course.  

When may a student be eligible to receive extensions on course assignments? 

• Departmental expectations for the completion of course work are grounded in academic principles and equitable application of course requirements.  Academic deadlines serve important educational purposes, and coursework is often cumulative. Therefore, repeated or extended deadline adjustments are generally not considered beneficial to the student.
• A short extension on assignments may be appropriate when a student is participating in a Title IX investigation, meeting, or hearing.
• Extensions for coursework deadlines beyond the final week of classes will generally not be considered reasonable.
• Students unable to complete the work of the semester may receive longer-term (although still time-bound) incompletes while on leave, but all work must be completed before reinstatement.  
• Graduate students unable to maintain an active presence on campus and/or unable to make sufficient academic progress are encouraged to consider a leave of absence. 
• Students who are unable to complete all coursework by the end of the semester should consult with their course instructor and, where appropriate, their academic department regarding the possibility of an Incomplete. Any remaining coursework must be completed in accordance with Academic Affairs policies and procedures. 

How does an incomplete or extenuating circumstance withdrawal impact my GPA?  

• Students should consult with the Office of Student Accounts and/or the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for information about how a withdrawal or incomplete may impact their account or academic progress. 

How can I request a Leave of Absence? (Graduate School) 

• A student in good academic standing, who must interrupt his or her graduate program for good reasons, should request a leave of absence from graduate study for a definite period not to exceed one year. The request must be made with the Request for Leave of Absence form no later than the end of the late registration period of the semester in which the leave of absence is to apply. RequestforLeaveofAbsence.pdf 

Academic Supportive Measures FAQ 

Individuals who have experienced Prohibited Sexual Conduct may want and need a confidential person to talk to who can help them process what has happened, understand the support and resources available to them, and consider their options. Information shared with a Confidential Resource will not be disclosed to anyone else, including FSU's Title IX Office, except under very limited circumstances.

Any individual may choose to seek support from confidential professionals on and off campus. The Counseling and Personal Development Center can help student victims sort through their feelings and begin the recovery process. The professionals at the Center are trained to provide crisis intervention on short‐term and emergency issues. The Center can also provide referral services for outside providers and law enforcement. Counseling is free of charge to all students. Students may contact the Center at 910-672-1222 or www.uncfsu.edu/faculty-and-staff/divisions-departments-and-offices/division-of-student-affairs/center-for-personal-development

Employees may contact the ComPsych Guidance Resources Program at 866-465-8933 or www.guidanceresources.com to obtain emotional support.

Both students and employees can obtain free support, advocacy services, and counseling through Rape Crisis of Cumberland County at 910-485-7273 or www.rapecrisisonline.org. 

FSU's Student Health Services Staff

The FSU University Health Care personnel will not share information about an individual (including whether that individual has received services) without the individual's express permission, unless there is a continuing threat of serious harm to the patient/client or to others or there is a legal obligation to reveal such information (e.g., suspected abuse or neglect of a minor). These professionals are also available to help an individual make a report to FSU's Title IX Office and/or campus police.

You are encouraged to go to the emergency room of any hospital to request a specially trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) to conduct a forensic examination and collect physical evidence. A SANE is a Registered Nurse who has received special training so that he/she can provide comprehensive care to sexual assault victims.  Completing an examination does not mean that you have to file a police report; it simply preserves evidence if you decide you want to use it later. 

Local Resources and Support

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center

         1638 Owen Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28302

Womack Army Medical Center

        2817 Reilly Road, Fort Bragg, NC 28310

Cape Fear Valley Hoke Hospital

      210 Medical Pavillion Drive, Raeford, NC 28376

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital

      155 Memorial Drive, Pinehurst, NC 28374

Central Carolina Hospital

      1135 Carthage Street, Sanford, NC 27330

Fayetteville State University has adopted complaint resolution procedures to comply with Title IX, that provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of student and employee complaints alleging dating violence, domestic violence, gender-based harassment, retaliation, sex discrimination, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and stalking (hereafter referred to as “prohibited conduct”). These complaint resolution procedures include information on how to report or file a complaint of prohibited conduct and how the University will respond once it has actual notice of an allegation of prohibited conduct.

• The University’s Title IX complaint resolution procedures apply equally to all Fayetteville State University students and employees participating in or attempting to participate in the University’s education program or activity. The following rights and options will be afforded equally to both the complainant and respondent.
• The right to a prompt, fair, impartial, unbiased, and equitable process from the initiation of the formal complaint process through the final result.
• The right to inspect and review any evidence obtained as part of the investigation that is directly related to the allegation(s).
• The right to be assisted by an advisor of your choosing, who may be, but is not required to be, an attorney, during the formal complaint process. Please note that the University is only required to provide an advisor during the live hearing phase of the formal complaint process. Therefore, prior to the live hearing phase, complainants and respondents may provide their own advisor if they desire to do so.
• The right to be informed in writing of the date, time, location, participants, and purpose of all hearings, investigative interviews, or other meetings, with sufficient time to prepare to participate.
• The right to be informed that the respondent is presumed not responsible until the conclusion of the formal complaint process when a determination is made.
• The right to voluntarily participate in an informal resolution process. Both parties must provide their voluntary consent in writing to participate in an informal resolution process. Informal resolution is prohibited in any case where an employee is accused of engaging in prohibited conduct against a student. The University will not require the parties to waive their rights to a formal process and agree to informal resolution as a condition of enrollment or employment.
• The right to be notified in writing of:
  • The results of any disciplinary proceeding and/or appeal(s) that arise from your formal complaint of prohibited conduct;
  • The University’s procedures to appeal the results of the disciplinary proceeding and/or appeal(s);
  • Any change to the results (e.g., through the appeal process); and
  • When the results become final.

The right to submit a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR). To file a complaint with OCR, call 1.800.421.3481, email ocr@ed.gov, or go to https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html.