Sexual misconduct experts make impact behind the scenes
As graduates and friends of Michigan State University, you are familiar with the issues the university has faced regarding relationship violence and sexual misconduct.
However, behind the scenes, there is a group of committed experts working to change MSU’s organizational structure, policies and procedures to expand prevention and response efforts across campus and within the community.
Based on ongoing feedback received at campus and community meetings, current research and best practices, the Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Expert Advisory Workgroup—a group of 17 expert faculty, administrators, staff and students that engages diverse perspectives and reports directly to the university president—has implemented several key changes that are making a positive impact at MSU.
Since the RVSM workgroup’s 2018 founding, additional resources and new positions have been added to the Center for Survivors (formerly the Sexual Assault Program). MSU also has developed a Campus Sexual Assault Response Team, and a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program is scheduled to open in the spring. These collaborative approaches are considered national best practices that enhance care and increase the likelihood of criminal prosecution should a survivor of sexual assault decide to pursue charges.
We don’t stop when it gets difficult. We keep going because we are resilient, and we can make a difference.
With funding from MSU, as well as state and federal grants, all services are provided free of charge to MSU students, faculty and staff while ensuring confidentiality.
“We need to create opportunities to share innovative ideas and work together for implementation,” said MSU Police Department Lt. Andrea Munford, a nationally recognized authority on trauma-informed investigations, workgroup member and adviser to the president of MSU. “We have many great people here who have great ideas about things to improve the culture at MSU, all starting with the foundation of doing things because they are the right thing to do.”
Another of the workgroup’s recommended changes was to streamline prevention and response efforts to relationship violence and sexual misconduct under one unit, the Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance. Tanya Jachimiak recently was announced as the new associate vice president of the office; she will replace Rob Kent, who served in the role in an interim capacity since spring 2018.
This office has become home for the Prevention, Outreach and Education Department (POE), formed in April 2018 to educate the MSU community about relationship violence and sexual misconduct and to empower members to become advocates for a nonviolent community.
To do this, POE developed a training framework that addresses sexual assault and relationship violence, bystander awareness and survivor support that is mandatory for all students and employees. More than 72,000 campus community members received training during the department’s first year. In addition, POE offers additional required and targeted training programs for campus groups, including the Athletics Department and fraternities and sororities.
“We keep trying to find new ways to get our message out and impact people’s attitudes and beliefs about sexual violence,” said Mariah Sloat, a POE prevention specialist. “We don’t stop when it gets difficult. We keep going because we are resilient, and we can make a difference.”
POE also works closely with student groups and community partners to develop and support peer-to-peer activities and events during two It’s On Us campaign weeks held in the fall and spring. Those student-organized activities mirror the national It’s On Us initiative’s charge to stand up for and with survivors of sexual assault and to take action to end sexual violence.
It’s an important initiative “because it allows students the opportunity to start discussions around sexual violence outside of their required trainings,” said Taylor Owens, a master’s student in the College of Social Science and graduate assistant with POE.
In addition to creating POE, the workgroup supported the development of the Know More campaign to educate the campus community and raise awareness of RVSM-related information. As a part of this campaign, the university partnered with RTI International to create a survey and collect data on the campus climate.
The results of that survey, coupled with feedback received through discussion forums held around campus through January, will be used to inform the workgroup’s focus for 2020.
See updates about RVSM program news at MSU’s Our Commitment website: msu.edu/ourcommitment. Updates also are posted on Twitter through @KnowMoreMSU.
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Beneath the Pines: Winter 2020
