Task Force on Sexual Violence

1. Task Force on Sexual Violence Sarah Joslyn & Laura Murnen Grand Valley State University

2. Institutional Profile • Big State University • Public Institution • Liberal Arts • ~30,000 students • 58% female, 42% male • Location • Rural campus

3. Background Utilize the following documents to obtain background knowledge about the topic of sexual violence on campus and what dialogue is occurring as a response: Clery Act VAWA Department of Education-Office of Civil Rights

4. Definitions • Sexual Violence: any sexual act that is perpetrated against someone's will. Includes a completed nonconsensual sex act (i.e., rape), an attempted nonconsensual sex act, abusive sexual contact (i.e., unwanted touching), and non-contact sexual abuse (e.g., threatened sexual violence, exhibitionism, verbal sexual harassment). All types involve victims who do not consent, or who are unable to consent or refuse to allow the act. • Consent: voluntary, positive agreement between the participants to engage in specific sexual activity. A sober, non-coerced, verbal yes. • Victim Blaming: Putting blame for the occurrence of a traumatizing event on the survivor instead of blaming the perpetrator. For example, stating that women not wear revealing clothes or not travel alone at night imply that such actions provoke rape. A non-victim blaming response acknowledges that perpetrators make choices to violate the bodily integrity of others.

5. Goals of the task force • Accommodating the unique needs of survivors of sexual violence • Ensuring the rights of those accused of sexual violence are met • Changing myths of sexual misconduct to facts • Sexual Misconduct prevention • Changing the paradigm from victims protecting themselves from sexual violence to ensuring all our community members treat everyone with respect to prevent sexual misconduct • Educating the campus community on ensuring all parties involved in sexual activity consent to that sexual activity • Defining consent

6. Goal #1: Accommodating Survivor Needs • YWCA- YOUNG WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCATION • Provides services for the survivor such as rape kits and counseling support • COUNSELING • Able to provide 24-7 counseling support to the survivor if needed FACULTY Teaching proper response to sexual assault claims Switching class sections if necessary • HOUSING • Helping the survivor switch rooms if necessary • Training RAs for proper response • Bulletin board ideas

7. Goal #2: Ensuring Rights of the Accused • In lookingat Code of Conduct documents for other institutions, we edited ours to ensure we are doing our best to ensure the rights of the accused • We have added/edited information to ensure the following: • The Hearing is scheduled as soon as possible • If the student is found responsible, a statementof why a violation was found will be included • The student may appeal the Hearing Officer’s or Judicial Board’sdecision or the sanction decision of the Coordinator • The accused has the right to view any evidence that will be used in the hearing in advance • They have the right to appear in person, to testify, and call witnesses • They have the right to not appear in person if he/she chooses not to • They have the right to have an advisor present • They have the right to refuse to answer questions w/out it being an admission of guilt • The hearing will be fair and prompt

8. Goal #3:Myths to Facts • Create flyers to debunk myths about sexual assault • Post myths around campus to raise awareness • Residence halls • Academic buildings • Student Center • Dining Halls http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/commonmyths2.php

9. Goal #4:Sexual Misconduct Prevention • Social Media • Post thought/conversation provoking questions for students, faculty, and staff to respond to via: • Twitter • Pinterest • Facebook • Attempt to humanize all people • Inclusion and Diversity Series • Change culture from “Don’t get raped” to “Don’t rape”

10. Twitter • Post tweets that provoke conversations amongst students, faculty, and staff • Posts would include: • Songs • Advertisements • Other pop culture references Similar posts on Big State University’s Facebook

11. Pinterest • Post information about statistics, pop culture, and other miscellaneous references to provoke discussions • Post bulletin board ideas for Resident Assistants to utilize

12. Goal #5:Changing the Paradigm • Inclusion and Diversity Series • Host: Women’s Center • Collaborators: • Office of Multicultural Affairs • Housing and Residence Life • LGBT Resource Center • Office of Civic Engagement • Programming held every 3rd Tuesday of the semester • Each office presents on a topic related to working towards inclusion overall • Programming includes: • Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, Take Back the Night, variety of speakers, Acts on Racism, LGBT Allies and Advocates training, civic engagement/service opportunity

13. Diversity Lecture Series Flyer

14. Ensuring Consent Faculty and Staff Students Fireside Chats Meetings coordinated by the Women’s Center Safe environment to discuss topics of diversity • Professional Development seminar for Faculty and Staff • Title IX and Affirmative Action • Discuss discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and consensual relationships

15. Examples of Faculty & Staff Professional Development (D. Hamilton,personal communication, February 2, 2014).

16. References http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/definitions.html http://www.northwestern.edu/womenscenter/issues-information/sexual-assault/defining-sexual-assault.html https://www.humboldt.edu/stoprape/definitions.html http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/commonmyths2.php http://www.ywca.org/site/c.cuIRJ7NTKrLaG/b.7515807/k.2737/YWCA__Eliminating_Racism_Empowering_Women.htm Grand Valley State University Code of Conduct Dwight Hamilton Presentation on Affirmative Action and Title IX