Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Julia Gresser" <>]

Dear Colleagues,
 I know there have been excellent conversations on the Listserv in the past 
re: terminology in campus in campus sexual misconduct protocols. 
Unfortunately I did not print them out and now  I am about to go into a mtg. 
with our Dean of Students to make a pitch for a change in policy whereby RD's 
and Security personnel would take descriptive reports from students  as 
"Sexual Misconduct " incidents and allow students to look at definitions in 
our handbook and assign definitions as they see fit, be appraised of all on 
and off campus resources available to them, etc., all the while having staff 
refrain from defining the event as a sexual assault or harassment incident. 
 As it now stands, many sexual misconduct incidents trigger immediate need 
for labeling, staff emotional reactions, opinions, and even disagreements 
about such definition, often  before a student has  met with a confidential 
counseling resource or sorted out their own feelings about what they think 
has occurred. 
This seems quite perilous from a number of perspectives.  We are pushed into 
this position, in part, because the Student Handbook, gives two options re: 
sexual offenses - Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment. It would help me to 
go into this meeting with more than just my own opinion, so if you could take 
a minute to forward to me any written material you have or even a paragraph 
of your own experience or opinion, (even if you differ, of course), I would 
so much appreciate it.   
Julia Gresser, S.A.F.E. Coordinator, Landmark College