Carleton College Administrators are authorized to issue a No Contact Order (NCO) prohibiting contact between students when the College determines there exists a reasonable concern that physical or psychological harm may result from such contact.

For instance, NCOs may be issued at the discretion of Carleton College Administrators when:

  • There are allegations, threats, or evidence of physical violence;
  • There are allegations, threats, or evidence of emotional abuse or harassment;
  • There is a substantial risk of emotional harm from continued contact between the students;
  • Continued contact between students may have a material impact on campus disciplinary proceedings;
  • The NCO is requested or agreed to in good faith by all students affected; and/or
  • There are allegations of serious College policy violations.

All NCOs will be mutual. In other words, any student(s) on one side of an NCO is prohibited from contacting any student(s) on the other side of the NCO.

“Contact” includes, but is not limited to, direct or indirect communication in person, through others, by email, text messages, social media-based messages and postings, and other forms of communication.

Additional Protective Measures

When deemed necessary by the College, NCOs may include additional protective measures or other terms specific to the safety, well-being, or other needs of students subject to the NCO. Any additional terms will be stated in writing in the NCO. Additional protective measures or other terms need not be reciprocal. They may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Restricting a student from being in close proximity to another student;
  • Restricting a student’s access to certain campus locations, including where another student lives;
  • Restricting times and/or locations for use of College facilities;
  • Requiring that students not be enrolled in the same academic course(s); and/or
  • Requiring students not participate in the same co-curricular or extra-curricular activities.

NCO Administrators

NCOs may be issued by the following Carleton College administrators or their designee:

  • Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Community Standards
  • Title IX Coordinator

For emergency situations that occur after hours, an on-call Dean/Director may determine it is necessary to issue a temporary NCO until it can be reviewed by the Assistant Dean of Students & Title IX Coordinator or Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Community Standards.

In situations when you need immediate help, please contact Security Services at 507-222-4444.

Request an NCO

To request an NCO, fill out the request form or you can contact the Assistant Dean of Students & Title IX Coordinator or the Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Community Standards directly.

Filling out the form does not guarantee the NCO will be granted. NCOs must meet certain criteria and are issued at the discretion of the Assistant Dean of Students & Title IX Coordinator or Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Community Standards.

An NCO may be issued in conjunction with, or apart from, College investigatory, adjudicatory, or disciplinary proceedings. NCOs issued as interim measures or sanctions under applicable College policies are subject to the terms of those policies.  

When filling out the request form, you will be asked to provide information about why you want an NCO including specifics about your concerns between you and the other student(s), details about any specific incidents, and any supporting documentation (texts, voicemails, messages, notes, etc.). Either the Assistant Dean of Students & Title IX Coordinator or the Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Community Standards will contact you to schedule a meeting to discuss your request.

NCOs remain in effect through graduation, unless the NCO indicates otherwise, or is modified or rescinded by the College (the issuing administrator will notify both parties when modifying or rescinding an NCO). Any requests for modification of an NCO will be considered on a case by case basis.

The class schedules of students with NCOs are checked before the start of each term to determine whether students have registered for the same classes. The issuing College Administrator will contact you if there are any concerns.

NCO Violations

Any violations of NCOs are subject to disciplinary action under the College’s policies. Retaliation is strictly prohibited. A violation of a NCO by a student who requested it may result in revocation of the NCO.

If you believe someone has violated a NCO, please report it to the College Administrator who issued it.

In situations when you need immediate help, please contact Security Services at 507-222-4444.

Questions / Contact Us

If you have any questions about NCOs, please direct them to:

Court-Issued Protective Order

An NCO does not replace and should not be compared to a court-issued protective order.

For sexual misconduct related concerns, the Hope Center can assist with seeking to obtain a court-issued protective order.

To pursue a court-issued protective order, please contact the Northfield Police Department at 507-645-4477.

Interpersonal Conflicts

Students who have interpersonal conflicts that do not raise concerns for an individual’s health and safety will not be granted NCOs. It is expected that students requesting NCOs do so in good faith and for legitimate reasons. NCOs are issued at the College’s discretion and the College may decline to issue an NCO where it determines the process is being misused.

Students with conflicts for which an NCO is not appropriate should consider other forms of conflict resolution such as mediation. If you would like to pursue this option, please talk to a staff member in Residential Life or the Dean of Students Office.

Mediation will not be used for incidents of sexual assault.