Graphic by Cate Carrejo
By Laura Sanicola
For Fordham undergraduates, campus is a relatively safe place and chances of encountering sexual violence are lower than 10 percent, according to the results of last year’s sexual misconduct campus climate survey.
The survey, administered by The Department of Public Safety and Fordham’s Title IX coordinator, Anastasia Coleman, and Student Affairs, was adapted from the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault in their Not Alone publication. The findings revealed that 92 percent of traditional undergraduates and 97 percent of graduate and professional students reported they have not been subjected to physical force or threats of harm involving sexual contact.
However, 229 of the 2,008 students, or 11.4 percent of respondents, indicated they had been the victim of assault, attempted assault or suspected assault. The percentage of traditional undergraduate students who reported experiencing one or more scenarios is 16 percent.
“We believe the report is largely self-explanatory,” Coleman said in a university-wide email that was signed with only her title. “We will learn from all you have told us, and hope to make our university better as a result.”
The 2015 statistics, which will be reported to the Federal Government on October 1, 2016 will state the following regarding sexual assaults: “Total sexual assaults on campus is six. Four of the six occurred in our Residence Halls, one in an academic building and one on public property,” according to vice president of public safety John Carroll.
Of those who had been assaulted, eight percent of respondents decided to use the university proceedings to report the incident, according to the report.
“These number are consistent with the national trends, including the under reporting of sexual violence,” the report read.
The percentage of traditional undergraduate students who reported experiencing one or more scenarios is 16 percent, and over 60 percent knew the identity of their assailant. This is relatively consistent with numbers reported by the Rape Abuse and Incest Network (RAIN), which finds that approximately 4 out of 5 of rapes were committed by someone known to the victim.
On the survey
The survey was administered to over 15,000 students in spring 2015. Just over 2,000 students, mainly undergraduates, participated in the study, which was voluntary and anonymous.
Grassroots work from student groups and organizations across the country have projected sexual assault on a national stage, prompting surveillance of sexual assault on campuses and further studies. The Association of American Universities, for example, reported that nearly 25 percent of undergraduate women reported being victims of sexual assault or pus misconduct.
The AAU’s report, which surveyed more than 150,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students at 27 universities, also found that nonconsensual sexual contact involving drugs and alcohol make up “a significant percentage of the incidents.” AUU’s report also found 30 percent of the most serious incidents are reported to an organization or agency. In comparison, Fordham respondents reported less instances of sexual assault but found that far less than 30 percent were reported to the university.
The more positive findings of Fordham’s study reveal that students act in general accord with the university’s Fordham affirmative consent policy of determining sexual assault. Campus Assault and Relationship Education packets (CARE) define it “a knowing, voluntary and mutual decision among all participants to engage in sexual activity.” This consent can be given by words or actions “as long as those words or actions create clear permission regarding willingness to engage in sexual activity.”
“Silence or lack of resistance, in and of itself, does not demonstrate consent,” it states In addition, “any type of manipulation, threat or force that is used to obtain a ‘yes’ to sexual activity, the ‘yes’ does not qualify as consent.” In turn, half say they are extremely likely to ask their partner for verbal consent even in a long-term relationship and more than half of students said they were extremely likely not to engage in sexual relations with their partner if they were drunk.
Some findings painted a more complex picture of the way assault is understood and treated on campus. One in four traditional undergraduates does not think there is a good support system during difficult times. One in four traditional students also does not know where to get help in the case of a sexual assault.
Furthermore, almost 60 percent of those who had been sexually assaulted said they did not report the incident because they were embarrassed.
A large disparity also exists between the quality of sexual misconduct education for undergraduate and graduate students. 64 percent of students remember receiving education related to campus policies and procedures on responding to sexual misconduct, a number consistent with the findings of a 2015 United Student Government (USG) survey. However that number dropped to 49 percent for graduate and professional students.
“These statistics demonstrate that not only do we need to better engage with and educate students, particularly graduate and professional students, about sexual violence at the very beginning of their education here at Fordham, but we also need to find a better way to reinforce those lessons throughout their tenure here,” the report read.
Progress, allegations and refutations
Fordham has spent the past year battling several accusations that it had mishandled sexual assaults, as well as investigating and refuting such claims. In February 2015, an anonymous student’s grievance against Dean of Students Christopher Rodgers was publicized in Al Jazeera America, which ran an article entitled “Crime Logs Show NYC Schools Mishandle Sexual Assault Complaints.” The article, based on “a three-month investigation of campus crime logs,” called into question sexual assault policies at Fordham University, Columbia University, New York University and Pace University into question.
Al Jazeera said that Fordham has the most reported assaults, with 62 in the past four years according to Al Jazeera.
Rodgers had responded with the following statement:
“The most troubling thing about this piece is that its inaccuracies might discourage students from reporting sexual misconduct.
The University wasn’t asked about any of the specific allegations made in the article. While the University is forbidden by law from discussing the specifics of a student complaint without his or her clear and direct permission, colleges and universities have an obligation to respond rapidly and appropriately to any reports of sexual misconduct. Fordham takes this obligation very seriously and this is precisely what occurred in this case.
The University has made tremendous efforts over time to publicize the extensive resources available to anyone who has been the victim of sexual misconduct. Fordham takes action in response to every case of sexual misconduct reported to school officials; no complainant is ever simply dismissed.
While Fordham is obligated to consider a student’s request to decline reporting sexual misconduct to the NYPD, or proceeding with an internal investigation, the University is sometimes required by statute or circumstances to proceed with investigation. Students are always fully informed of all options, and given administrative and counseling support, whatever course of action they choose.”
Student activists, including some at Fordham, were also part of the movement to change policies and regulations regarding sexual assault. New York State’s legislature passed a statewide law requiring that all New York colleges and universities adopt an affirmative consent policy in September.
At the end of September, a student made a false accusation that she had been assaulted in the alley next to the Dunkin Donuts across from Walsh Hall. After local media picked up the story, the student, who remained anonymous, retracted her claim. The university was made aware of the incident and retraction through a university-wide email made by the Department of Public Safety.
In November 2015, a Fordham student accused the university of mishandling a sexual assault off campus. The student reported that the university violated HIPAA laws in questioning her in public, and let her accuser, a cab driver, go free. In February 2016, the allegations had been investigated and deemed unfounded following investigation, according to an email from Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the university.
Student Activism
Student activists on campus have furthered the conversation surrounding sexual assault in recent years. USG took initial steps toward creating a Sexual Misconduct Task Force is September 2014. The Task Force is a collaboration among USG, Progressive Students for Justice: Women’s Empowerment and other student organizations formed to address “the national epidemic of sexual misconduct that is prevalent at colleges and universities across the nation,” according to a 2014 USG statement.
Original members include Nicholas Sawicki, FCRH ‘16 and outgoing executive vice president of the united student government. Since the task force has been formed, members have worked with Rodgers to change the language within Campus Assault and Relationship Education (CARE) brochures administered to enrolled students surrounding inclusiveness, bystander intervention and victim-blaming language.
CARE now outlines many of these topics, including the Students Bill of Rights, definitions of sexual offenses, prevention methods sexual offenses and tips for bystander intervention. It additionally provides information on the reporting process and procedures and available resources to all students.
CARE administrators, including Rodgers and Kimberly Russell, assistant dean of students and director of residential life, met with students in November 2014 about how sexual assault and misconduct was addressed on campus. In the spring 2015, the Sexual Misconduct Task Force created a video about sexual assault awareness that was disseminated to the Fordham community.
In October 2015, USG found through the results of its own sexual assault survey that Fordham University “more than sufficiently meets” its legal requirements and, through its extensive campus programming, discussions and training sessions, “strives to create a culture where sexual assault cannot exist.” According to findings, more than half of respondents had “learned something useful” through university programming, while about 18 percent of students said that they had not.
However, 56 percent of respondents felt they were “unaware as to how to report a sexual assault.” 63 percent of participants also said they “did not know how the University defines sexual assault.”
The report additionally found that 60 percent of students would feel comfortable bringing a case of sexual assault to the Department of Public Safety, while 40 percent said they would not.
This article was updated on 4/27/15 at 1:12 p.m. to add hyperlinks to sources, Dean Rodgers’ original quote and to clarify that Student Affairs was also involved in survey’s creation.
