By Marrissa Ballard | Staff Writer
Sexual misconduct on college campuses has recently become an important issue for university officials to focus on.
One important document that pushed for new policies and processes was the Office of Civil Rights’ Dear Colleague Letter in 2011 which gave guidance to universities on how to act regarding sexual misconduct. This document outlined what obligations universities have in these cases.
Dean Malcolm Smith, the Dean of students at Salve, has made reforming sexual misconduct policies one of his priorities in his time here.
“There are some universities out there who don’t do this right,” Smith said. “What the government asks of us is that we be fair, clear, and protect our students.”
This issue has always been important to Smith. He is a member of the American Student Conduct Association and is also involved with Day One, Rhode Island’s Sexual Assault and Trauma Center.
He attended a conference on sexual misconduct on college campuses last weekend, and frequently attends such conferences to keep up with changing case laws.
Smith talked a lot about how sexual assault and rape cases are handled poorly in general. Most rape or sexual assault incidents go unreported, especially among male victims.
The modern estimate is that 1 in 5 women will experience some form of rape or sexual assault while in college. Since so many cases are not reported, this estimate could actually be low. The actual statistic could be more than 1 in 5, which is a thought that greatly alarms Smith.
Smith has also partnered with other faculty members at Salve. Dr. Hoffman of the Administration of Justice department and Dr. LoPresti of the Religious and Theological Studies department have both been very involved in educating the campus on sexual misconduct.
When Dean Smith arrived at Salve, the policy about sexual misconduct was only four paragraphs long. Since then, he has rewrote it and it is now around 20 pages.
“I wanted to remove the confrontation that often re-victimized women,” Smith stated. The process of dealing with sexual misconduct has also changed since he has begun his reforms.
Since Smith came to Salve, he has pushed for more improvements, education, and conversations. He wants to engage the entire campus – faculty, students, and staff – in a conversation about sexual misconduct. Smith also attended the Slut Walk in Spring 2014 to support student voices.
“I want this information to be pervasive,” Smith stated. He wants every part of the campus, from Campus Life to Health Services, to be informed and educated on these issues. He also wants to educate the campus on what language is important to employ in these situations.
Smith emphasized that when someone comes forward to talk about sexual misconduct, it is important to believe them. “That’s her truth,” Smith said. Questioning individuals who come forward can often re-victimize them, or make them less apt to report incidents in the first place.
There are also “confidential places” where students can go to talk about incidents, such as Counseling or Health Services.
Smith really encourages individuals to report any incidents of sexual misconduct so that action can be taken. “There is no statute of limitations in our policy,” Smith stated. If someone comes forward years after the incident happened, Smith stated that he will still do everything he can to punish and remove the perpetrator.
Currently Salve has been implementing more programs and forums in order to educate the campus. A forum about sexual assault took place on Tuesday, Februrary 10th. A new workshop series called “Bringing in the Bystander” will present situations involving sexual misconduct and show students what to do in those situations. A group of 10 staff members will also be trained as Title IX coordinators in the next few weeks, according to Smith.
Future plans also include a “climate survey” to gauge how students are feeling about campus issues. Smith wants to know the specific issues that students are concerned about.
In the case of an emergency, students are encouraged to contact Safety and Security, Campus Life, Counseling, Health Services, or Dean Smith himself.
