UCONN President Herbst Announces Strict Initiative Against Sexual Violence

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University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst this week released a detailed outline of programs the school is undertaking "to eliminate sexual assault and harassment." "UConn, like all colleges and universities, must do all it can to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence on our campuses, increase campus awareness, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide victims and survivors with the resources and compassion they desperately need during a time of intense personal trauma," she said in a letter dated and e-mailed Thursday and addressed to students, faculty and staff members. "UConn is absolutely committed to this effort."

She added, "This work is of the greatest importance to me and to the entire university. We have taken a number of significant steps to demonstrate our commitment by enacting initiatives to further our work to prevent sexual misconduct and violence and to provide appropriate care when incidents do occur."

Herbst said that over the summer, the Division of Student Affairs re-established the Dean of Students Office with two new positions designed to assist students in "navigating the campus and to provide advisement, support and resources to students, including during the complaint and investigation processes." The new hires are Eleanor Daugherty as the associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, and Jen Longa as the assistant dean of students for victim support services.

Herbst said the Division of Student Affairs also has added specialists in counseling and mental health services and wellness and prevention to, "provide for the needs of all students, including those impacted by sexual harassment and sexual violence."

A Title IX investigation team has been formed to look into complaints of sexual harassment and sexual violence, she said.

A Special Victims Unit has been created within the UConn (Herbst, Page 4)

Police Department, which will respond to all reports of sexual violence that take place on campus with specially trained officers, Herbst said.

A "community resource team" has been formed to coordinate on- and off-campus resources, Herbst said. Team members include UConn employees, students and "off-campus partners who work to address issues of sexual violence, intimate partner violence and stalking on campus," Herbst said.

She added, the community resource team's "collaborative work ensures that UConn provides a coordinated, compassionate, trauma-informed response to victims and survivors."

Herbst said a major goal is "increasing education and awareness."

"Education and training for all members of our campus community is critical in the fight against sexual harassment and sexual assault," she said.

Incoming students this summer participated in programs about sexual violence prevention and bystander intervention as part of their orientation process, Herbst said. On their first full day on campus in August, they also attended a two-hour sexual violence bystander intervention program, she said.

She said that all faculty and staff members have been offered "enhanced education and training about sexual harassment and sexual violence." She said all new employees are required to attend a training focused on preventing sexual harassment and responding to sexual violence. This summer, UConn launched a mandatory training program for management- level employees on preventing sexual harassment and responding when incidents of sexual harassment or sexual violence take place.

The Division of Student Affairs has convened a new bystander intervention task force, Herbst said. The group will work "throughout the 2014-2015 academic year to establish a campus-wide program that increases awareness of sexual violence and empowers students to be effective bystanders.," she said.

Herbst said, "This work is critical for UConn as we bolster our ongoing efforts to reduce incidents on campus and to provide significant support to victims and survivors."

UConn has joined the national "It's on Us" campaign, designed to aimed at reduce sexual violence through awareness and bystander intervention. It included a video to be played on message boards at sports venues, she said.

The school in July agreed to pay a $1.3 million settlement as part of a lawsuit filed by five women who claimed it did not take their claims about sexual assault on campus seriously. UConn spokesman Stephanie Reitz on Friday said many initiatives were in place before that.

The special victims unit began training more than a year ago and was active over the winter, she said. The task force was formed in May 2013, she said.

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Source: Chris Dehnel, Herbst outlines initiative against sexual violence, The Chronicle (Willimantic, Connecticut), (Sep. 27, 2014) at 1