Updated: Sept. 2, 2014 at 5:16 p.m.
There has never been so much pressure on universities to have air-tight protocols in place for cases of – or scandals pertaining to – sexual assault.
After the events of this week, no school knows that better than GW. Just a day after a former University president made controversial remarks about sexual assault on a radio show, students’ phones buzzed with an alert: a student had reported a sexual assault at an on-campus fraternity house. Both incidents grabbed the attention of local and national news sources, which have put this issue that’s affecting all colleges on the country’s agenda.
Because it’s more important than ever for GW to have its house in order, it’s concerning that we are now in a kind of limbo when it comes to preventing and responding to sexual violence. GW is still without a replacement for Tara Pereira, the former deputy Title IX coordinator who left her post last December.
Five months after Pereira’s departure, the University hired a higher education consultant to identify gaps in GW’s sexual assault policies – reflecting a nationwide trend as schools look to safeguard themselves against litigation.
But even if the University is covering its legal bases, there are student needs that administrators must fill.
When Pereira stepped down, students advocates were concerned they had lost their go-to administrator for sexual assault resources and support. Students across campus saw her as a higher-up who made the University feel accessible and the judicial process manageable.
For all those reasons, Pereira set a precedent during her time as deputy Title IX coordinator: By acting as a comforting figure to survivors, she was much more than a GW official. That’s now what GW students are familiar with and is, naturally, what we’d like to see continue.
Outside consultant Ann Franke was not hired to serve as a student ally. GW brought her on to temporarily assist Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Terri Harris Reed, who ensures the University is in compliance with the anti-discrimination law Title IX.
No one wants to see GW on the list of 76 schools under investigation for mishandling sexual assault cases, or students to take the University to court. In the worst-case scenario, schools can lose federal funding if the government finds they are not in compliance with Title IX. It’s reassuring to have an outside consultant to keep practices in line with federal standards, which prevents funding for research grants and loans from drying up.
Franke also told student leaders she will inform administrators that the sexual assault resource website Haven has several dead-end links and needs improvement overall. For nearly two years officials have sold Haven as a “one-stop shop” for information and links to services, and it appears Franke has stepped in after the vision for the site failed to materialize.
But as essential as Franke’s tasks are, GW still has a gaping hole in its support network for sexual assault victims and campus advocates.
Even if Reed, Franke and others are able to cover Pereira’s formal duties, the lack of a permanent successor sends a message to a student body: Choosing a lawyer before a student advocate implies that the University is taking care of itself before it takes care of survivors.
Just 12 percent of college-enrolled survivors will report their rape to the police, according to the Medical University of South Carolina’s National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center. Universities must do everything they can to encourage survivors to step forward, including hiring staff members whose presence makes them feel more comfortable on this campus.
We have to trust that the reason administrators are taking so long to hire Pereira’s replacement is because they’re finding the best of the best. We eagerly wait to meet their choice.
The editorial board is composed of Hatchet staff members and operates separately from the newsroom. This week’s piece was written by opinions editor Robin Jones Kerr and contributing opinions editor Sarah Blugis, based on discussions with managing director Justin Peligri, sports editor Sean Hurd, culture editor Emily Holland, copy editor Rachel Smilan-Goldstein and design editor Sophie McTear.
This post was updated to reflect the following correction:
The Hatchet incorrectly attributed a study, which found that 12 percent of college-enrolled survivors will report their rapes, to the U.S. Justice Department. The Medical University of South Carolina prepared the report. We regret this error.
