Current Events: Campus Sexual Assault

July 11, 2014 |
Valor

School may be out for the summer, but the issue of campus sexual assault is very much on the minds of Americans. On Wednesday, Senator Claire McCaskill released a report that exposes a system that is failing to investigate sexual assaults on campus and faculty and staff that are untrained and ill-equipped to respond to student survivors.
The McCaskill report comes on the heels of the California State Auditor Report on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence that was released in late June. This report highlights the lack of training for faculty and staff in responding to and reporting of incidents of sexual assaustudentslt. The Audit also revealed the need for more prevention education for students on sexual harassment and sexual violence.
In April, CALCASA convened 50 students from California colleges and universities to gather student perspectives and input on campus sexual violence. These students were able to to share their experiences and develop recommendations for universities, colleges, legislators, funders and other stakeholders to meet the needs of students most effectively. Student feedback has culminated in a report that will be released the first week of August. We look forward to sharing this with our members, elected officials, and the faculty and staff of California colleges and universities.
Additionally, CALCASA will be hosting a series of web conferences during the month of August, tailored to specific audiences, to share the student recommendations. Please stay tuned for registration details for our upcoming web conference series.