Spurred by a Student Senate initiative, Bradley’s Sexual Misconduct Policy saw a summer overhaul that formalized a previously informal policy.
The revisions focus on the Sexual Assault Amnesty Policy. Under this revised policy, victims of sexual misconduct that report violations are protected from being punished for illegal activities in which they may have been engaged.
As Student Senate’s former vice president of academic affairs, Sarah Handler led the student effort in devising this policy. She has continued her work with the policy as this year’s Speaker of the Assembly.
“This policy is in place so that if you are a victim of sexual misconduct and you were underage drinking or under the influence of illegal substances, you will not be penalized for that since you’ve already been penalized enough at that point,” the junior industrial engineering major said.
According to the policy, “The seriousness of sexual misconduct is a major concern, and Bradley University does not want any of the circumstances to inhibit the reporting of sexual misconduct.”
Director of Student Support Services Anne Hollis served as the main administrative figure in the policy overhaul. She said it is important for students to truly understand what is right and what is wrong, as well as what they can do about these issues.
“We set out to define consent in a very clear manner, doing away with ‘no means no’ and really making it ‘yes means yes’ in an affirmative consent way,” Hollis said. “We also tried to make it very transparent so students know their options and understand exactly what will happen if they report something.”
Colleges nationwide see policy changes
According to Hollis and Handler, there were no specific events on campus that led to the policy revision. Rather, the changes were part of a national trend in raising awareness about sexual misconduct and Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972.
This federal law prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational institutions, university student services and academic programs. Incidents of sexual misconduct fall under the umbrella of Title IX.
“There isn’t a campus in this country that isn’t taking a hard look at this,” Hollis said. “It’s important that people understand Title IX is not a criminal investigation; it’s about your civil rights.”
Hollis said more than 70 universities are currently under investigation for Title IX violations.
So why is the issue of sexual misconduct just now taking hold when Title IX was passed more than 40 years ago?
“People are finally speaking up,” Handler said. “I think there were a few people who said ‘enough is enough’, and then it just spread.”
Sexual misconduct on the Hilltop
Although Bradley has limited reports of assault, sexual misconduct is still present on the Hilltop.
“The biggest thing we’re seeing right now is not so much the assault as it is the harassment and bullying, especially with over-identification of sexual orientation,” Hollis said. “Hate language is thrown around so nonchalantly among people.”
Student Support Services plans to raise awareness about the amnesty policy and sexual misconduct issues throughout the school year. Representatives have spoken with each of the residence halls, greek chapters and EHS classes.
University faculty and staff members are required by law to report any mentions of sexual misconduct to professionals in the area. For some student employees, such as resident advisors (RAs), this creates a difficult situation.
RAs receive training to develop a thorough understanding of the policy and understand their roles as mandated reporters. If a resident reports a violation to an RA, the RA is required to report it even if it goes against the resident’s wishes.
“We never want to take any power away from the male or female who has just gone through such a traumatic and powerless experience,” Harper/Wyckoff hall director Kelly Weigand said. “RA’s will make sure [residents] are given all the help they need and are directed to the proper resources.”
Policy seeks to increase reporting rates
According to Hollis, the goal of this policy is to create an environment where students feel safe reporting incidences of sexual misconduct.
“I’m hoping that reporting will go up because that will send the message that people feel safe in reporting,” Hollis said. “At the end of the day, we want people to be in an environment where they feel safe and supported and can pursue their education without any form of violence or discrimination.”
From 2010 to 2012, Bradley had a total of 11 reported forcible sex offenses. This data, which is made public through the Clery Act and U.S. Education Department, cited a 2012 rate of 1.10 reported offenses per 1,000 students, placing Bradley among the top five Illinois colleges for highest reporting rates.
Knox College had a rate of 3.50. The remaining four universities were also private universities and included Millikin University, North Central College and Roosevelt University.
The reporting rate may not indicate a higher rate of offenses, however. According to Hollis, a higher reporting rate may instead indicate that students feel safer coming forward with issues.
“Really, we just want people to feel safe that you can tell us whatever and you will not be penalized,” Hollis said. “What happened to you was a violation, and your mental health and safety is more important to me than the fact that you are underage.”
Overall, Hollis said the focus of the university is to create a safe environment and support victims of sexual misconduct.
To learn more about the Sexual Misconduct Policy and Title IX, contact the Center for Student Support Services. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual misconduct, contact Bradley University Counseling at (309) 677-2700 or the Center for Student Support Services at (309) 677-3658.
University Policy on Sexual Misconduct
The expectations of our community regarding sexual misconduct can be summarized as follows:
• In order for individuals to engage in sexual activity of any type with each other, there must be clear, knowing and voluntary consent prior to and during sexual activity.
• Consent is sexual permission. Consent can be given by a word or action, as long as those words or actions create mutually understandable clear permission regarding the willingness to engage in sexual activity.
• Silence – without actions demonstrating permission – cannot be assumed to show consent.
• Consent to some form of sexual activity cannot be automatically taken as consent to any other form of sexual activity.
• Previous relationships or prior consent cannot imply consent to future sexual acts.
Sexual misconduct violations include:
• Sexual harassment
• Non-consensual sexual contact (or attempts)
• Non-consensual sexual intercourse (or attempts)
• Sexual exploitation
Taken from Bradley University Statement on Sexual Misconduct
