Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to sexual assault and domestic violence.

Information in this article, originally published Sept. 23, 2024, has been corrected. The contact for a Women’s Center advocate was mistyped and has been corrected.

NC State offers numerous resources across campus for survivors of sexual assault, aiming to provide students with pathways to healing that best suit their individual needs.

Women’s Center

The Women’s Center at NC State serves as the first point of contact for survivors of sexual violence. The center provides a variety of survivor services and works to connect students with the services best fit for them. 

Delana Epps-Avery, associate director of the Women’s Center and Interpersonal Violence Services, said one of the department’s main focuses is to offer support and advocacy to survivors. 

“Our job is really to support the survivor through this emotional and traumatic event, by connecting them with all the resources on campus that are available to them,” Epps-Avery said. “But also giving them a safe place to land, a place where they can come and be able to express all those things in a safe environment.”

The Center provides advocates, who are trained to offer support and information to aid in the healing process. Advocates are available on weekdays in the Women’s Center offices and can accompany survivors to court, medical services, student conduct hearings and meetings with campus police. 

Working closely with other departments, the Women’s Center helps students obtain academic accommodations to ensure their success. Epps-Avery said advocates work with the Office of Equal Opportunity to assist students in communicating with professors and departments in seeking accommodations. 

The Women’s Center operates a sexual assault helpline that is available 24/7. The line serves as a dedicated crisis line for students conducted by advocates at the Women’s Center and can be reached at (919) 515-4444. 

“We are available 24/7 to students who have experienced any level of interpersonal violence or harassment on our campus,” Epps-Avery said. 

Students can reach an advocate at the Women’s Center by calling the helpline or reaching out to the email [email protected] 

Campus Police

The NC State Police Department provides support whether or not students choose to pursue a criminal investigation. 

Lieutenant Conner Hartis, of the internal affairs office of the Department, said their goal is to provide extensive resources so survivors can make informed decisions on their approach. 

“Our focus here at the police department is to give the survivor, or someone who’s connected, as much resources as possible so that they can make the best-informed decision,” Hartis said. 

Regarding criminal investigations for instances of sexual assault, the department uses a trauma-informed approach to limit additional trauma. After an initial conversation with a responding officer, an on-call investigator takes over the interview. This process limits the amount of retelling between a survivor and different members of NC State Police. 

Investigators also utilize this approach in interviews, recognizing the traumatizing nature of these events.

“It’s okay not to remember things,” Hartis said. “It’s okay days, weeks, months later to recall other events or details that you didn’t initially know.”

Campus police employ a multidisciplinary approach to their investigations, connecting students with representatives from the Women’s Center, Office of Student Contact and the Counseling Center. Campus Police can reach out to the Women’s Center and arrange for an advocate to be present during an interview. Investigators can also make mental health referrals through the CARES program.  

Prevention services offered by campus police include escort services, self-defense training and blue light emergency phones. Training programs include Rape Aggression Defense and pepper spray training. Hartis said these trainings provide students with options when facing a violent individual. 

“We walk individuals through, if you have an aggressor, what is a legal and safe way to navigate that,” Hartis said.

Students can reach campus police at (919) 515-3000. 

Prevention Services – CARES

NC State’s Prevention Services offers the CARES program, providing mental health and behavioral services to students who either opt into the program or are referred to it anonymously by other students. Students can meet with a case worker for referrals to appropriate resources. 

Office of Student Conduct

The Office of Student Conduct offers legal protections to survivors of sexual violence. Here, students can request legal accommodations such as no-contact orders, housing reassignment and schedule changes. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship violence, sexual violence, stalking or any other form of interpersonal violence and are in need of advocacy services, the NC State Women’s Center has trained advocates available to offer crisis intervention, emotional support, resources, and referrals. Students can contact the 24/7 Sexual Assault Helpline at 919-515-4444 or email [email protected] to schedule an appointment with an advocate.

Support services through the NC State Women’s Center are available for all students inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

For more information on support services, please visit go.ncsu.edu/supportsurvivors. If you would like to talk to a confidential resource, you can also connect with the NC State Counseling Center at 919-515-2423. You may also visit https://equalopportunity.ncsu.edu/safe/for additional information on resources and reporting options.