ALMA, MI -- A Mid-Michigan college is the target of a federal investigation for possible violations of federal law over the handling of sexual violence complaints.
Alma College is listed among three Michigan colleges facing Title IX sexual violence investigations, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The college joins a growing number of colleges and universities -- currently 185 -- under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, accused of mishandling its response to campus sexual assault.
Alma College Director of Communications Mike Silverthorn said the Office of Civil Rights contacted the school in October about the complaint.
The federal agency lists the investigation at Alma College as open as of Oct. 20.
The college has been cooperative and provided investigators information and documents they sought Silverthron said.
"We can't comment on those cases," he said, noting rights and privacy of students.
He said the college has civil rights policies and procedures in place for resolving harassment and sexual misconduct, and it employs a Title IX coordinator.
"We're up to speed, I think, on some of the new laws," he said. He said the college takes such complaints seriously.
Three investigations in Michigan
In Michigan, Alma College, the University of Michigan and Grand Valley State University are facing Title IX sexual violence investigations, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
As of Dec. 2, the department's Office of Civil Rights had 185 cases regarding issues of sexual violence under investigation at 152 post-secondary institutions.
Related: Search Michigan college campus sexual assault, crime reports
"The department will not disclose any case-specific facts or details about the institutions under investigation. The list includes investigations opened because of complaints received by (Office of Civil Rights) and those initiated by OCR as compliance reviews," the agency said in a prepared statement.
"When an investigation concludes, the department will disclose, upon request, whether OCR has entered into a resolution agreement to address compliance concerns at a particular campus or found insufficient evidence of a Title IX violation there."
A school's appearance on the list and being the subject of a Title IX investigation does not indicates that the college or university is violating or has violated the law, the Office of Civil Rights said in a statement.
Under federal law, sexual violence refers to physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person's will or where a person is incapable of giving consent -- including rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual abuse and sexual coercion.
Alma College was not among 22 Michigan colleges that received state grants, totaling $500,000, meant to boost efforts to prevent campus sexual assault.
Located in Alma, about an hour north of Lansing, the four-year private school enrolls about 1,400 undergraduate students from 27 states and nine foreign countries, according to its website, and employs a 96-member full-time teaching faculty.
-- Brad Devereaux is a public safety reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+