Message on Campus Sexual Assault Prevention

Friday, September 25, 2015

Dear members of the Lehigh community,

A new report of aggregated student survey data from member institutions of the Association of American Universities (AAU) serves as an urgent reminder that much more work must be done before we can say we have eradicated sexual assault and harassment on our college and university campuses.

The report draws on student survey data collected from 27 AAU member universities, and though Lehigh was not one of the institutions included, the report’s findings are relevant to campuses nationwide.

The report’s data reflects that 23 percent of the undergraduate women and 5 percent of the undergraduate men surveyed said they were victims of non-consensual sexual contact, and that 20 percent of all respondents said they believed sexual assault and misconduct are either “very problematic” or “extremely problematic” on their campus. The survey also indicates a significant number of respondents do not know where to go on their campus for support, should they be subjected to unwanted sexual contact.

These findings are deeply troubling. But as uncomfortable as it may be, we must confront and accept these realities as we push forward in our efforts to create a safer campus community. Making Lehigh a place where a significant change in the incidence of non-consensual sexual contact occurs requires engagement of students, staff, faculty and administration. At a minimum, we expect all members of our community to be aware of this challenge, understanding of the situations that can lead to non-consensual sexual contact and supportive of survivors of that contact. But we must also aim higher. Our goal is that the entire Lehigh community joins together to take a proactive approach (as many already do) towards our own behavior, and that of our friends and colleagues, to prevent incidents of non-consensual sexual contact from occurring.

At Lehigh, we have taken strong action to implement policies, programs and procedures aimed at fostering a healthy and respectful campus environment—one in which our students can grow, thrive and learn. Our Student Affairs staff offers extensive support services for survivors of sexual assault or harassment, and through education programs, advocacy services and crisis support, we aim to foster a culture in which these actions simply will not be tolerated.

Our recent efforts aimed at prevention as well as support for survivors include the following:

  • The creation of the Office of Gender Violence Education and Support, directed by Brooke DeSipio, Ph.D., which is working to change the culture surrounding sexual assault, intimate partner abuse, sexual exploitation and stalking from a healthy relationship and strengths-based approach.
  • The appointment of Karen A. Salvemini, Esq., as Lehigh’s first Equal Opportunity Compliance Coordinator, a position responsible for overseeing and coordinating the University’s education and compliance efforts relating to equal opportunity and non-discrimination laws, including Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and University policies.
  • A series of educational programs that have educated more than 1,000 students—including members of student clubs, Greek organizations, athletic teams and others—in how to identify and report harassment and gender violence situations.
  • The ongoing work of the Break the Silence Peer Educators program, a student-run peer education organization, which aims to prevent gender violence through healthy sexuality education.
  • The creation of the Violence Response Advocates (Advocates) Program, through which Lehigh staff provide key support for survivors of gender violence.
  • The implementation of policies regarding sexual misconduct, reporting mechanisms and the student conduct process that are in line with best practices and compliance protocols.
  • The establishment of programs that educate Lehigh students on these issues during orientation, during which interactive sessions help first-year and transfer students learn about engaging in healthy relationships and navigating the college social culture. These messages are reinforced during additional sessions conducted by the Lehigh University Police Department and our Office of Student Conduct and Community Expectations. Additionally, our Gryphons guide discussions on these topics in our residence halls.
  • The university provides extensive support and resources for anyone who has experienced harassment or gender violence. Available crisis support resources include the Lehigh University Police Department (610-758-4200), the Advocates program (610-758-4763) and the Office of the Equal Opportunity Compliance Coordinator/Title IX Coordinator (610-758-3535). Additional information about Lehigh’s support services can be found at the Gender Violence Education & Support website http://studentaffairs.lehigh.edu/content/gender-violence-education-support which offers information about Lehigh’s policies, reporting systems, support services and more.

These initiatives, combined with the many other programs, education and training, and campus events we sponsor each year, represent Lehigh’s enduring commitment to stamp out the culture of sexual assault and harassment. We are very proud of the efforts of our students, faculty and staff who have joined us in this fight.

Of course, we know that here at Lehigh—as with other universities nationwide—there is much more work to be done. We will continue to work with everyone in our campus community—students, faculty and staff—to help create a better, safer Lehigh.

Sincerely,

John Simon, President

Pat Farrell, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

John Smeaton, Vice Provost for Student Affairs