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Progress in sexual assault prevention at the UW

We are in the midst of a transformative national conversation about sexual assault on college campuses. Two years ago, I established the UW’s Task Force on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, a group of students, staff and academic personnel, to take the lead on this issue. The group established guiding principles to lay the foundation for creating cultural change, including: highlighting that the majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by a person known to the victim; challenging the propensity for victim blaming; and understanding and defining the meaning and nature of consent. And on campus today, the UW hosted the Washington State Council of Presidents’ Conference on Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention. Leading innovators and researchers working on sexual assault response, prevention and education issues — including our own faculty and staff — shared critical information and raising awareness about this issue in important ways.

As a public institution the UW has a leadership responsibility to help resolve this national, societal issue, and we are fully committed to doing all we can to prevent and properly respond to incidents in our community.

Over the past year, the Task Force has made significant progress in our campuswide prevention efforts:

  • More than 7,000 incoming first-year and transfer students completed sexual assault prevention training during fall 2014 orientation;
  • The UW launched a comprehensive sexual assault website last month that includes support and reporting resources;
  • We funded two permanent positions: a Title IX investigator, responsible for ensuring an investigation and disciplinary process tailored to handling sexual assault, and a training and program coordinator, charged with creating a comprehensive education and outreach program for students, staff and academic personnel.

Last January, I encouraged everyone in our community to read the Task Force’s full reportand to personally commit to being part of the solution to this systemic issue in higher education. I am asking the same again today. The Task Force’s remaining implementation items for 2015 include developing robust institutional data collection and reporting procedures, updating the Student Conduct Code to be more student centered and easy to navigate in addressing sexual assault investigations and disciplinary processes, and implementing a comprehensive education and outreach program.

Thanks to the tireless work of our faculty, staff, students and the Task Force, led by Ellen Taylor, and to our institutional commitment to ending sexual violence, I am optimistic that we can — and will — lead the way to safer communities for everyone.

Sincerely,

Michael K. Young