IU is implementing system-wide changes to sexual violence policies, procedures and prevention efforts in response to recent federal guidance from the United States Department of Education.
The new changes, including the removal of students from hearing panels for appealed sexual assault cases, are taking place amid an Office of Civil Rights investigation into the University’s compliance with Title IX sexual harassment and sexual violence policies.
The review, which began in March, seeks to determine if the University has responded promptly and effectively to complaints of sexual violence, according to an DOE spokesman.
For the last several months, the University has been providing the Office of Civil Rights with documents and information about its sexual assault reporting procedures, prevention efforts, and victim support resources.
Representatives from the office will be on the Bloomington campus from Sept. 8 to Sept. 12 and are inviting students to attend focus groups gauging their awareness of IU’s Title IX-related policies, procedures and resources.
“I’m actually really excited,” said Jason Casares, associate dean of students and director of the Office of Student Ethics. “I know some folks are fearful of it, but I think we’re doing great stuff here.”
According to records obtained by the Indiana Daily Student, the Office of Student Ethics adjudicated 67 reports of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment from July 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2013. The spring 2014 data have not yet been released.
Following new guidance suggested by the Office of Civil Rights in April, the University made the decision to alter the process for hearing appealed sexual assault cases on campus.
Previously, when a student appealed a decision in the Office of Student Ethics, a review board would hear the appeal.
The panel would have included an appointed faculty member, staff member and a student from the IU Student Association Supreme Court.
But according to new guidance from the Office of Civil Rights, IU is discouraged from allowing students to serve on hearing boards in cases involving allegations of sexual violence.
Going forward, appealed cases will be heard by the respective student affairs professional on each IU campus: Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith at IU-Bloomington, for example.
Title IX guidance also contributed to the University’s decision to rearrange its Deputy Title IX coordinator roles, said Emily Springston, IU’s Student Welfare Compliance coordinator.
The IU Athletics department has never handled its own sexual assault cases, but Executive Associate Athletics Director Julie Cromer previously served as one of IU-Bloomington’s Deputy Title IX Coordinators, Springston said.
The University has decided that Cromer will no longer carry the title in order to keep athletics separate from the sexual assault reporting process and clarify that all athletes must work through the Office of Student Ethics.
The Office of Student Ethics has also increased the pool of professional staff available to sit on hearing panels for sexual assault cases from 19 people last year to 30 this year, boosting training hours to a total of almost 50 hours, Casares said.
In all of its policy changes, the University has rewritten its procedures to encompass the IU system as a whole, Casares said. Previously, each campus had its own process and procedure for managing sexual violence cases.
“Now we have one system, one procedure,” Casares said. “It’s really going to help us create the ability to be consistent across the system.”
The leading effort in these system-wide changes has taken place through the newly founded Student Welfare Initiative, which aims to coordinate and boost sexual assault prevention and response efforts across the seven campuses.
The initiative, comprised of several committees and councils, has begun a public awareness campaign, putting up sexual assault prevention posters in buildings across campus. It also launched a new website last month to provide a single access point for information about sexual assault and campus resources.
On the new website, http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu,We can put this information in a pull-out box the University has written an expanded definition of consent, clarifying “not just what consent is, but what consent is not,” Casares said.
Springston said she feels IU is a leader nationally in the way it manages its sexual assault procedures, but she expects the Office of Civil Rights will make recommendations for further improvements.
“No one wants to say we’ve got this and it’s perfect.” Springston said.
Rachel Green, senior advisor for Culture of Care, is a student representative on the Executive Committee for the Student Welfare Initiative.
Green said that although IU’s system compares very well to other universities, she would like to see changes within the judicial process to make it more “survivor-friendly.” She hopes conversations will take place about how to minimize the trauma for students reporting sexual assaults and improve hearing panel training to avoid victim blaming.
“It’s overwhelming,” Green said about the judicial process. “It’s a really big decision for a survivor to report a sexual assault.”
She thinks surveying students about their understanding of consent, response procedures and resources on campus is the first step in identifying gaps in awareness. Such insight may soon be possible through a campus climate survey planned for later this fall through the Student Welfare Initiative, Springston said.
Any conversation among students and faculty about preventing sexual assault is a valuable one, Green said.
“Until there’s no more sexual assaults on campus, there’s room for improvement,” Green said.
OCR focus groups and office hours schedule
Week of September 8-12
Monday
1 p.m. Hoosier Room in IMU: Male Graduate Student Group*
1 p.m. Walnut Room in IMU: Female Graduate Student Group*
5 p.m. Walnut Room in IMU: Female Undergraduate Group
5 p.m. Hoosier Room in IMU: Male Undergraduate Group
OCR Open Office Hours: 10 a.m. to noon (Charter Room IMU), and
2:30 to 6 p.m. (Charter Room IMU)
*The Graduate Student focus groups are open to all graduate students, including doctoral students and students enrolled in professional degree programs such as IU Law and Kelley School of Business.
Tuesday
2 p.m., Hoosier Room in IMU: International Student Group*
2 p.m., Distinguished Alumni Room in IMU: LGBTQ Student & Allies Group**
4 p.m., Hoosier Room in IMU: Female Undergraduate Group
4 p.m., Distinguished Alumni Room in IMU: Male Undergraduate Group
OCR Open Office Hours: 10 a.m. to noon (Charter Room IMU), and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
OCR Open Office Hours: 10 a.m. to noon (Charter Room IMU), and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Charter Room IMU)
*International Student focus group is open to both graduate and undergraduate international students.
**LGBTQ Student & Allies focus group is open to both graduate and undergraduate LGBTQ students.
Wednesday
12:30 p.m., IU Health Center, first floor Administrative Room 100: Female Survivor & Advocacy Group
4 p.m., McNutt Residence Hall 208B: HoosierLink Student Group
6:30 p.m., Shuel Academic Center, Room E009: Male Athlete Student Group
6:30 p.m., Shuel Academic Center, Room E013: Female Athlete Student Group
OCR Open Office Hours: 10 a.m. to noon (Distinguished Alumni Room IMU)
2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Distinguished Alumni Room IMU)
Thursday
12:30 p.m., IU Health Center, first floor Admin. Rm. 100: Male Survivor & Advocacy Group
6:30 p.m., Shuel Academic Center, Room E009: Male Student Athlete Group
6:30 p.m., Shuel Academic Center, Room E013: Female Student Athlete Group
OCR Open Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Charter Room IMU)
