Ithaca College is investigating a report that a male, not enrolled at the college, sexually assaulted a female student before midnight Feb. 28 in a Circle Apartment, according to Dave Maley, associate director of the Office of Media Relations.

The incident occurred in the room of the male college student with whom the alleged perpetrator was visiting. The student will not be judicially charged and the victim declined to press charges, Maley said.

The college learned of the incident April 6 when an outside party reported it. The Office of Public Safety then followed up with the victim April 10.

Maley said the four-day discrepancy between when the situation was reported to when it was classified as rape was because the college was trying to contact the victim.

The college originally classified the incident as “criminal intelligence” but reclassified it as rape to the third degree. Maley said he could not discuss what particular section of penal law classified the crime as third degree.

Maley could not confirm that the victim knew the perpetrator and did not know if the victim sought a rape kit following the incident.

The perpetrator is banned from campus with a criminal trespass waiver, which will allow the college to arrest him for trespassing if he returns.

Because the investigation is open, Laura Durling, assistant director for Patrol and Security Services, said she could not comment on the specifics of the case. She said in general, the Office of Public Safety and the Office of Judicial Affairs will investigate crimes that occur on campus. After a crime is reported, the different parties involved in the crime are interviewed and facts are checked. From there, Durling said the college presents the victim with his or her judicial options as well as available resources.

Senior Dan Wald, president of Students Active for Ending Rape, has been involved with the college’s sexual assault work group since it started after three reports of sexual assault in February 2008.  The group has made changes to the judicial process for rape and sexual assault, such as allowing the victim to present via phone or video screen.

It could not be confirmed that such policies will be used in the recent case, because the college’s conduct code is not applicable to nonstudents, said Mike Leary, assistant director for Judicial Affairs.

Wald said the work group will present three changes to be approved by the college’s Board of Trustees at its May meeting. He said the group will clarify how the college defines types of rape and sexual assault and will add the right for the accuser to appeal a case if new evidence comes up and will establish minimum sanctions.

Wald said the recent rape was not an isolated incident — even at the college.

“Rape is the most violent, underreported crime on college campuses,” he said. “[Victims] are not alone, because it happens to so many people.”