The University of Iowa has established its first-ever sanctioning guidelines to address sexual misconduct and expelled a second student for a sexual-violence incident, UI President Sally Mason announced on Thursday.
In an email message to students and staff, Mason reiterated her pledge to eliminate sexual violence on campus, pointing to progress on her Six-Point plan to Combat Sexual Assault and the university’s commitment to communicate openly on the issue to the UI community through its “timely warnings.”
To read UI President Sally Mason's letter to the campus community, visit here.
The Department of Public Safety has issued timely warnings, since renamed "crime alerts," about three sexual assaults committed against students on campus since the beginning of the academic year.
“We take sexual assaults very seriously. There is no excuse for this crime. It has no place on this campus,” Mason wrote in her email. “We must continue to address this problem, and we must not rest until it is eliminated entirely.”
The Sanctioning Guidelines for Sexual Assault outline in detail the severe repercussions for those who commit sexual misconduct. Violators face penalties from probation to expulsion.
“These guidelines help us send a clear message that violators will be held accountable for their behavior,” Mason wrote.
The sanctioning guidelines complement the Six-Point Plan to Combat Sexual Assault, announced by Mason at the Iowa Board of Regents meeting last February. The plan binds the university to a range of actions to fight sexual misconduct. Since the plan’s announcement, the UI has fulfilled several action items, including:
• Establishing sanctions for offenders
• Holding offenders accountable for their actions
• Increasing funding for a specially trained nurse to consult with sexual-assault survivors
• Training every staff member who comes in contact with survivors
• Expanding Nite Ride service by adding a second vehicle and lengthening service from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. seven days a week
• Forming a student advisory group and meeting regularly with that group
"Much work remains to be done,” Mason wrote. “The safety and wellbeing of every member of the University of Iowa community is of utmost importance, and I invite all members of our campus to play a role in confronting sexual assault.”