Letter of No Contact
If you are being harassed or stalked by another UF student, our office may be able to help even if you don't want to file conduct charges at this time. We can send a "Letter of No Contact" to the person who has continued to harass or contact you despite your requests for them to stop.
A letter of no contact is simply a warning letter that tells the student that they are not to contact you in any way, including in person, via e-mail, telephone, text messaging, Facebook or any other method of electronic or direct communication. It warns them that any contact would be considered a violation of the Student Conduct Code both for harassment and failure to comply with the request of a University Official and that this violation could be grounds for suspension or expulsion and possible legal penalties. The letter can be used in a subsequent hearing should the student not comply with the letter.
There are some limitations to the letter however:
- There is no way to predict how the student will respond to receiving the letter. Most are compliant but some could become angry
- The letter does not mean the student has violated the Student Conduct Code in any way. It is simply a warning. This means the student does not have a conduct record when we send this letter and don't charge the student.
- The letter can't prevent the student from being in common locations such as the Reitz Union or the library. Every student has a right to be there unless it is taken away because the student was found responsible through the conduct process.
- The letter does not mean the student has to change classes to remove themselves from classes they are in with you.
Some advantages include:
- It takes very little time to send the letter and there is no hearing to get the letter sent
- Most of the time, the recipient complies
- It reinforces what you have already been saying to the student
- The letter can be used as evidence that the student should have known not to contact you in a hearing if the student doesn't comply.
- It is a way to get the behavior to stop without getting someone in trouble.
If you have been threatened physically in any way or the situation has become physical, this may not be a viable option. We are probably better of charging the student with a Student Conduct Code violation and going to a hearing in those circumstances.