Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Campus Considers SaVE Standards

The university will reevaluate its sexual violence policies in response to the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which will take effect by March 7 of next year.

Specifically, the Campus Sexual Violence Act provision in VAWA calls for increased transparency, education, collaboration and accountability from universities regarding sexual violence.

“The university will be reviewing the requirements of the VAWA and determining what changes to existing policies and procedures need to be made,” Director of Media Relations Rachel Pugh wrote in an email.

The act, known as “SaVE,” requires minimum standards for college disciplinary action in sexual violence cases, sexual violence educational programming for students and staff and annual reports of campus sexual crimes. It also calls for a stronger partnership among the U.S. Departments of Justice, Education, and Human and Health Services in order to determine the most effective manners of preventing and responding to sexual violence at universities nationwide.

These changes come after a months-long effort at Georgetown to introduce mandatory sexual assault education to New Student Orientation — a measure NSO coordinators and administrators rejected in favor of a voluntary discussion of sexual assault and introduction of relevant resources during the NSO Show, a performance all new students must attend.

According to Women’s Center Director Laura Kovach, university administrators will be meeting with Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Jeanne Lord and Director of Special Programs Mary Dluhy to discuss how Georgetown can ensure that its policies align with SaVE.

“[The working group] reviews policy and the code of conduct on a regular basis, and we will take this opportunity to review our policies to make sure that we are compliant with this new legislation,” Kovach wrote in an email.

“Universities across the country spend most of their time and resources on sexual assault education, services and outreach, and non-campus communities focus more on intimate partner violence and stalking,” Kovach wrote. “The Women’s Center has wanted to increase this part of our outreach, and we are excited about the new legislation that will support our efforts.”

In addition, former Sexual Assault Working Group Chair Lisa Frank (COL ’13) and Sexual Assault Working Group Chair Nora West (SFS ’15) have met to discuss potential updates to university sexual harassment policies. Although West could not discuss the details of the discussions, she expressed optimism for the outcome.

“All the administrators I have worked with have been super interested in student input — they want campus to be better, and they’re here to serve students,” West said. “As long as you can show them that this is something that would benefit students and is something that students want, and you can find a way to get them the money to make it happen, I have really yet to find a time when they are not in support of the project.”

Sexual Assault Peer Educator Zoe Mowl (SFS ’15) disagreed and said that she thought the university would be unwilling to implement SaVE’s more progressive reforms.

“On paper, we like to be progressive, but I’m not sure if, in reality, they’re willing to put those policies into work and into action,” Mowl said.

Mowl said that Georgetown’s sexual violence policies remain outdated, citing the fact that of university-provided kits for rape victims do not include Plan B emergency contraception.

According to Mowl, however, peer educators have yet to discuss the SaVE Act as a group, but hope to do so in the near future.

“We want to start addressing SaVE, not only how we can use it to change the discussions we host but also just bring more awareness,” Mowl said.

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