An unnamed female Oakland University student indirectly reported a sexual assault on Tuesday, Sept. 15, according to the university police department.

The student said the assault took place in the parking lot of the Ann V. Nicholson student apartments around 6 p.m. on Sept. 8, after she entered a black car with a man she met on the Internet. 

“What happened was after the assault occurred, she sought medical attention,” Chief of Police Mark Gordon said.

“During the course of medical attention, she signed a waiver to provide a local police department with the evidence kit that was collected. With the evidence kit came some information about the assault.”

Gordon also said the woman had been conversing with the male through an unknown social media site for “quite some time.”

Alerts were sent out via email and text and yellow flyers were posted around campus notifying people that an “alleged sexual assault” was reported.

“We are required to put out the safety alert from the Clery Act,” Gordon said. 

The Clery Act requires police departments to send out alerts any time a report of assault is made.

“We found out about the details yesterday, so when we put out the timely warning, we put it out right when we got information about the assault,” Gordon said.

The alerts instructed students with more information to notify OUPD.

The woman didn’t request police intervention and the suspect is not an Oakland University student.

This is the first report of sexual assault on campus for the 2015-16 school year. 

Gordon said that OUPD strives to ensure the safety of students on campus in several ways.

“We remind students to be diligent about your surroundings, use the right paths and walk in groups if you possibly can,” Gordon said.

“And, if you’re going to meet somebody that you’ve met online, we always encourage people to take a friend with you the first time around, make sure you meet in a public place and if things go bad, you have an exit strategy of some kind.”

OUPD also offers a 24-hour, seven day a week visual escort service. Students can call the police department’s non-emergency number at (248) 370-3331 if they feel unsafe walking anywhere on campus and a patrol car will dispatch to watch them as the travel.