The Task Force for Combating Sexual Violence and Supporting Our Students has provided an update after its Fall 2022 meeting on the progress made with educating, preventing and responding to sexual violence on campus. The committee will meet again in March 2023.
The President’s Task Force for Combating Sexual Violence and Supporting Our Students was formed in February 2022 by Interim President Radenka Maric. The final report by the task force, which was approved earlier this year, delegates a multitude of tasks to the committee.
“[Twenty-two members of the President’s committee were charged specifically with:] …evaluating how the University of Connecticut educates, prevents and responds to sexual violence,” the report states. “This includes how students are educated on the topics of sexual violence, the standard of consent, healthy relationships, incapacitation, and bystander programs. In addition, this committee is charged with the intentional review of all relevant procedures designed to support students who are participating in the process of reporting sexual violence including how policy, process, Title IX obligations, and support are shared with students.”
In an email released last week, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Eleanor JB Daugherty gave an update on the items completed thus far under the directive of the task force.
“[twenty-two members of the president’s committee were charged specifically with:] …evaluating how the university of connecticut educates, prevents and responds to sexual violence. this includes how students are educated on the topics of sexual violence, the standard of consent, healthy relationships, incapacitation, and bystander programs. in addition, this committee is charged with the intentional review of all relevant procedures designed to support students who are participating in the process of reporting sexual violence, including how policy, process, title ix obligations, and support are shared with students.”
Task Force
According to the email, the completed items include: A LiveSafe app for all UConn students on all campuses which can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play Store, Mutual No Contact Directives are now “significantly easier and faster to obtain” and writing on UConn’s official website has been “clarified to indicate an order can be obtained regardless of whether a conduct case is proceeding.”
Title IX brochures are also now also available in multiple languages throughout all campuses and on UConn’s website. The Office of the Vice President of Research has “named sexual violence on college and university campuses a research priority area and is currently accepting proposals,” according to the email.
Daugherty also gave an update on items that are currently in progress under the directive of the task force.
According to the email, the Pack Leader Program is currently being expanded, additional staff is being hired to focus on Title IX matters and bystander education, the presentation of information resources is being redesigned and an exploratory group (which has already been formed) needs to develop “a recommendation for a research center focusing on sexual violence on college and university campuses.”
The email encourages all interested students to apply to the expanded Pack Leader Program if interested. According to the Protect Our Pack website, Pack Leaders are “trained students who provide educational programs to their peers on intervening in problem situations, particularly in issues of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and stalking.”
Anyone in need of help due to sexual violence or looking to file an incident report are highly encouraged to reach out to someone. You can view Title IX resources which include ways to get help, ways to file a report and ways to get/provide support due to sexual violence at titleix.uconn.edu.
