SASS Proposal for Sexual Assault Coordinator June 2008

As a follow-up to the demands articulated in Students Against Sexism in Society's 2008 demands concerning sexual assault and other issues, SASS circulated a more specific proposal for the duties to be incorporated in a proposed new Campus Sexual Assault Coordinator position within the Office of Student Development. The text of the proposal is reproduced below.

Text of the Proposal

To whom it may concern,

After researching the California Campus Sexual Assault Task Force’s Campus Blueprint issued under the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services in 2003-2004, and schools with positions devoted to sexual assault response and prevention such as Colorado College, Dartmouth College, Central Washington University, and Harvard University, Students Against Sexism in Society (SASS) is prepared to list below the proposed duties of the new position we demanded in our Grievances and Demands. As mentioned in the introduction to the Grievances and Demands and demonstrated through other institutions’ histories in dealing with sexual assault on their campuses, the problem of sexual violence continues to be ignored and initiatives started by students, faculty, and staff continue to be abandoned and left incomplete. This is due to student bodies’ changing every four years, students leaving for the summer, and the relevant offices within colleges having many other responsibilities in addition to their obligations regarding sexual assault and harassment. Although they are explanations, these factors do not amount to an excuse. By having a position solely focused on sexual assault and harassment at Knox College, initiatives to prevent and respond to sexual assault and harassment will finally be acted upon. The new position will provide resources Galesburg lacks. The qualified individual for the new position will connect the diverse obligations and responsibilities in already established jobs on campus have toward sexual assault and harassment, and ensure those jobs are fulfilling their obligations. A study conducted by Bonnie Fisher in 2000 surveyed 4,000 college women and found that fewer than 5% of rapes or attempted rapes were reported to law enforcement officials, and other studies have shown that women choose not to report incidences of rape because of little or no perceived social support. By having a position devoted to preventing and responding to sexual assault and harassment, women on campus will feel more societal support. Thus women will feel confident in reporting incidences of sexual violence, knowing that support is present. A coordinator would provide the devotion and attention victims need. According to the Campus Blueprint, crime report numbers alone can’t be the basis for determining the extent of the problem due to the historical underreporting of sexual assaults. Based on these facts, Students Against Sexism in Society and other members of the Knox community believe that Knox College should follow the lead of other institutions around the country to create a position to prevent and respond to sexual assault and harassment. Included in this letter of progress and recommendations for the new position, we have attached excerpts from other school’s websites as well as a copy of the California Campus Blueprint to Address Sexual Assault.

Sincerely, Students Against Sexism in Society

Knox College’s New Position’s Proposed Duties (including but not limited to these stated)

• Support and resource provider after an assault.
• To establish and institutionalize programs to prevent sexual assault and harassment on campus, including a more comprehensive first-year orientation program and programs such as Men Can Stop Rape.
• To develop or bring educational programs about the nature of sexual assault and harassment and raise awareness.
• To work with representatives from different areas of campus when developing educational programs.
• Ensures victims have all the information they need to make decisions for themselves.
• To support and work with local off-campus resources in their efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault and harassment.
• Acts as a liaison for victims to relevant off campus resources including but not limited to St. Mary’s hospital, Cottage Hospital, the Galesburg Police Department, and legal assistance.
• Acts as a liaison for victims to relevant on campus resources including but not limited to Campus Safety, the Counseling Center, the Health Center, the Office of Student Development, the Residential Life Office, and the President of the College.
• Acts as the advocate for the accuser for Grievance Panel hearings and works with the accuser to prepare for the hearing beforehand and supports the accuser after the hearing.
• Acts as a counselor for victims.
• To create a victim services delivery system.
• To develop or bring education programs to campus including sensitivity training (including cultural sensitivity) and sexual assault advocacy training. To conduct these programs for appropriate members of the community such as the deans, counselors, Campus Safety, Grievance Panel members, and residential advisors.
• To train Grievance Panel members on the regulations, rules, and proceedings of the panel.
• To develop a training program for faculty and staff on how to make appropriate victim referrals.
• To work with Campus Safety to bring first responder training on sexual assault and other educational programs dealing with sexual assault to all officers.
• To investigate Knox’s environment for physical and capital resources to increase safety and to investigate existing resources for their effectiveness in safety (ie. appropriate equipment for Campus Safety, lighting, suite telephones, and emergency call boxes).
• Create a resource page for victims and Grievance Panel members on the internet and in paper form about the Grievance Panel and the positives and negatives of the panel to be made available in appropriate offices on campus and during first-year orientation.
• Works with the faculty, staff, and students of Campus Safety, the Counseling Center, the Office of Student Development, the New Student Orientation program, the Grievance Panel, the Residential Life Office, and the Residential Advisors to ensure all policies and implementation of policies are in compliance with the Clery Act and effectively handle sexual assault prevention and response. Acts as the communicator of information and policies related to sexual assault between the offices listed above.
• To monitor the Grievance Panel’s efficiency in handling cases.
• To distribute the entirety of the Clery report in written form to the entire campus.
• To help facilitate the training of Campus Safety officers on the content of the Clery report.
• To make sure Knox’s Clery report meets federal regulations considering a study released in 2005 by the National Institute of Justice found only 1/3 of colleges report sexual assault crimes correctly.
• To ensure that Knox’s resources and programs also reflect the interests and needs of victims who are members of religious and cultural minority groups, men, individuals with disabilities, and lesbian/gay/transgendered individuals who according to the California Campus Blueprint to Address Sexual Assault frequently don’t report their victimization.
• To ensure the appropriate resources and services for faculty, staff, nontraditional students, commuting or parenting students, and friends and families of the victims are made accessible.
• Working with faculty, staff, and students to develop a campus-wide plan to prevent sexual assault as outlined in CALCASA’s (California Coalition Against Sexual Assault) California Campus Blueprint to Address Sexual Assault.
• To create and actively distribute and publicize written information to all employees on Knox’s sexual assault protocol and policy and on how to connect victims with appropriate resources.
• To conduct regular reviews on the effectiveness and compliance with federal and state regulations on Knox’s sexual assault protocol and policy.

Recommendations for Knox Over the Summer for the Advancement of the New Position

• Continue and facilitate communication and research on the new position between faculty, staff, and students. A proposed idea to facilitate this communication would be creating a Google blog dedicated to the Grievances and Demands where interested parties could post new research they’ve done or their opinions or suggestions on proposed ideas.
• Update the student body and Knox College community on the progress made toward creating the new position over the summer.
• Research and decide what qualifications candidates for the new position will need to have based on our proposed duties for the new position and what other colleges’ qualifications are for their sexual assault prevention and response coordinators.
• Begin searching for a qualified candidate for the new position.
• Assess the financial and physical resources needed to create the new position so that by the 2010-2011 school year, a new position will be formed in the time limit as demanded in the Grievances and Demands. To do this, a comprehensive timeline with marked deadlines for goals of the progress toward the new position should be made this summer.
• Hold a meeting on the progress toward the new position over the summer between the appropriate administrators and staff.
• Hold meetings between the necessary parties in the effort towards creating a new position.