USU responds to law changes to prevent sexual assault

By Mikala Lindhardt

 

Utah State University's program for educating students about sexual assault expanded this semester to include all regional campus students throughout the state in response to law changes that took place in July.

 

University President Stan Albrecht said in a letter to students, this online course will empower you to make well-informed decisions about issues that affect your college years and beyond.

 

According to the Clergy Act and Title IX Guidebook, a legislative compliance checklist and prevention best practices packet, as of July 1 colleges and universities will be required to offer primary prevention and awareness programs to all incoming students and employees, in addition to ongoing campaigns.

 

Associate vice president for student services, Eric Olsen, said this action will include new transfer students, new freshmen and new graduate students.

 

Last year the university’s main campus used Haven, a computer program aimed at teaching students about sexual assault, as a trial in preparation for this year’s law change.

 

A three-year contract with was signed this year, Olsen said.

 

“USU is required to offer the training and the goal is to have as many students as possible go through the training because we feel it is important,” Olsen said. “As we deal with cases of sexual assault, the perspective I have is maybe if some of these individuals would have gone through the training it may have been prevented.”

 

In an email to students, Albrecht said the course is set up with an anonymous pre-survey, six modules and an exam which have been estimated to last about an hour long. After a 45 day intersession, participants will receive an anonymous post-survey via email.

 

Olsen said the purpose of the pre-survey is just to see what the students understand about sexual assault and the training modules are to help them recognize and learn about sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. The post-survey is to see if they retained what was taught.

 

Last year there were 2,000 students and employees that went through the Haven program. This year the university is expecting those numbers to increase due to the expansion of the program to other campuses, Olsen said.

 

“We sent out about 7,000 emails this year,” Olsen said. “Hopefully we will be creating a culture of caring and awareness for students and employees. If we can prevent one sexual assault, then it’s worth it.”