UA System adopts strategy to confront sexual violence

Correction: According to numbers reported under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1990, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville had five forcible sex offenses reported in 2012 and the Arkansas State University Jonesboro campus had one. Incorrect statistics were reported in this article.

Matt McCoy, associate general counsel for the University of Arkansas System, leaned to his left in his chair and lifted his cellphone to show General Counsel Fred Harrison a picture of the cover of the forthcoming Time magazine.

"They're talking about it," McCoy said.

Harrison raised an eyebrow at the picture of a red and white pennant with "RAPE" printed in large, collegiate font. The Time article takes an in-depth look at what it says is a "sexual assault crisis" on American college campuses.

Moments later, McCoy stood before the UA board of trustees meeting at the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope to present the first systemwide policy outlining a stance against sexual discrimination, which can include sexual harassment or sexual violence.

With very little discussion, the UA board unanimously approved the systemwide policy that will complement the existing policies and efforts of the system's individual campuses.

UA System President Donald Bobbitt said in a letter to the board that the need for a systemwide policy became evident after recent compliance reviews of other colleges. The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights cited the lack of a systemwide Title IX policy as a "potential deficiency in the process."

While the Time article was not the impetus for the new resolution -- which McCoy said has been in the works for several months -- it highlighted a national movement to aggressively address rape on college campuses.

In January, the White House released a report that said 1 in 5 female students are assaulted on college campuses each year, while only 1 in 8 female students report it. In response, President Barack Obama created the White House Task Force on Protecting Students From Sexual Assault.

The new government group was assigned the task of issuing recommendations to colleges to prevent sexual crime, increase public awareness of each school's track record, and foster better coordination among federal agencies to hold colleges accountable.

McCoy said the new UA System policy will come with additional training for the Title IX coordinators at the individual campuses, as well as other increased efforts to prevent and address sexual crimes on campuses.

"This is not just a 'check the box' for the University of Arkansas," McCoy said. "It's really to show that the University of Arkansas is embracing a culture of training, response and awareness to sexual assault."

Of the system's six, four-year college campuses -- which have a combined enrollment of about 51,o00 -- there were 10 forcible sex offenses reported in 2012, according to numbers reported under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1990. The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville had eight of those reports, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff had the other two.

Under the Clery Act, Arkansas higher-education institutions reported these statistics for 2012:

• Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, with an enrollment of about 13,600, reported two forcible sex offenses.

• Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, with an enrollment of about 11,400, reported two forcible sex offenses.

• Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, enrollment 3,600, reported three forcible sex offenses.

• Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, with an enrollment of 3,400, reported two forcible sex offenses.

• University of Central Arkansas in Conway, with an estimated enrollment of 11,500, reported six forcible sex offenses.

The reports don't break down the specific charge involved in each case.

The UCA board passed a systemwide Title IX policy in December and instituted mandatory training for faculty and staff members, UCA spokesman Christina Madsen said Thursday.

Robert Giles, vice president for administration and general counsel for Southern Arkansas University, said that while a systemwide Title IX policy has not yet been approved by the board -- with the exception of a sexual-harassment policy adopted in the 1990s -- SAU is beefing up its approach to sexual discrimination and crimes on its campus.

"A comprehensive review all aspects of Title IX in light of the new guidance from the U. S. Department of Education as it relates to SAU is being conducted and changes have begun to be implemented," Giles said.

The ASU System, the state's second-largest college system, passed a board resolutionthis month that altered the staff handbook to specifically include Title IX policies, spokesman Jeff Hankins said.

"It is a different format from the UA but has the same force and purpose," Hankins said.

Each ASU campus has a designated Title IX coordinator and students, faculty members and staff members complete training related to sexual misconduct and the proper procedures for reporting a claim, Hankins said.

"We take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and investigate all allegations promptly and equitably," he said.

State Desk on 05/23/2014

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