Officials at the University of Iowa say they’re making progress on a new 6-point plan to combat sexual assault on campus. U-I President Sally Mason announced the plan last Friday during a special meeting with the Board of Regents.
Changes already made to the Office of the Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator website are designed to make reporting incidents easier for victims. Georgina Dodge, the U-I’s Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President, says a second Nite Ride van will also be put into use soon. “Some of the steps we need to take are going to be slighter longer processes, but the ones we can do quickly, we certainly want to jump on top of those,” Dodge said.
Next fall, the University will make changes to its online sexual assault awareness training tools for incoming students. Officials are also in the process of forming a sexual misconduct student advisory group. “This is a work in progress,” Dodge said. “We’re open to input at any particular point.”
The new plan is aimed at addressing concerns raised by students during a listening session President Mason held with students and staff last week. The session was offered after a series of campus protests were held in response to the university’s handling of recent assaults.
(Reporting by Mark Carlson, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids)