If you report something to your school you can still report it to the police. In this case there may be a jurisdictional component in that the Northeastern campus police have jurisdiction over the campus. The BPD may not. Either would be “real” police though, which are different from the university.
If the rape kit comes back positive the BPD is not required to file charges. That’s partially because the DA files charges, not the BPD, but also because citizens can generally never compel law enforcement to act a particular way.
Yes, the school and police can work together. They have to be careful though because if the school starts acting as an agent of law enforcement it will have all the same requirements.
@momofthreeboys: When the article says the suit concerns misclassifying crimes as disciplinary violations, I think it means for federal reporting purposes. I’d have to see the complaint to know for sure.