State audit finds UCLA’s sexual assault education insufficient

This post was updated on June 26 at 1:10 p.m.

UCLA fails to sufficiently educate its faculty and staff in handling sexual assault incidents, according to a state audit of four universities released Tuesday morning.

“As far as what we found, the universities can do more to protect students in the areas of training and education,” said Margarita Fernández, spokeswoman for the California State Auditor.

In particular, the audit stated that some university employees who are likely to be the first point of contact after incidents of sexual assault – such as residential student staff, athletic coaches and campus police – do not receive adequate training on how to respond to them.

At the four universities evaluated in the audit, 48 percent of students who sought assistance from campus resources after experiencing an incident of sexual assault said they were discouraged from filing a Title IX complaint or received inconsistent messages in the filing process, the audit found. UC Berkeley, California State University, Chico and San Diego State University were reviewed in addition to UCLA as part of the recent state audit.

Audited universities, with the exception of UC Berkeley, were selected based on various factors, including student population and geographic information, Fernández said.

The four universities do not adequately distribute information to all members of the campus community about relevant sexual assault policies, according to the report. They fail to distribute copies of their sexual assault policies to all employees at the start of each academic year, which state law requires.

The report also cited a concern that UCLA does not post copies of its sexual harassment policy in residence halls on a year-round basis. By not having the policy available at residence halls, the university risks students being uninformed of their rights in case of a sexual assault, such as the right to file a Title IX complaint, the report said.

Current state law mandates that universities post copies of their sexual harassment policies in prominent areas of the university.

Additionally, the report found UCLA does not provide adequate education for students regarding sexual assault. The audit recommends that UCLA provide sexual assault education programs for incoming students as close as possible to the beginning of fall quarter, when classes begin. Currently, the university provides its main education about responding to and reporting sexual assault only during summer orientation programs.

Undergraduate Students Association Council Student Wellness Commissioner Savannah Badalich said she thinks the recommendation to implement the educational program for students a few days prior to the start of fall quarter is unsuitable for the university for logistical reasons.

“It’s not effective. How do you get 6,000 students trained at one time?” Badalich said. “I don’t think they understood the feasibility of that recommendation.”

In a written response to the audit, UCLA administrators said that scheduling challenges and resource constraints would make it difficult to successfully execute such programs in the few days before classes begin.

Instead, UCLA administrators said they are considering requiring incoming students to complete an online course before fall quarter to refresh their knowledge about sexual assault policies.

UCLA spokesman Tod Tamberg said he finds the audit’s results encouraging overall, though the report concludes that UCLA can do better to protect students from sexual violence.

“The audit determined that UCLA was doing a number of things correctly,” Tamberg said. “The issue was really about the frequency of training of faculty, staff and students.”

To some, however, the audit’s findings and recommendations are self-evident.

“The recommendations they gave were great at base level, but they’re incredibly obvious,” Badalich said. “We don’t need a California state auditor to say this.”

Though Badalich said she agrees with most of the audit’s recommendations and thinks the report shows progress, she also thinks it could have done more to address problems in dealing with sexual assault at UCLA. For instance, Badalich suggested adding a medical amnesty clause for sexual assault survivors who are reluctant to go to law enforcement for fear that they will be punished for participating in illegal activities.

Badalich said she thinks UCLA should strive to go beyond the audit’s recommendations.

“Survivors need more than the bare minimum,” she said.

Chancellor Gene Block said in his response to the auditor that while the university should respond to sexual violence in a timely and appropriate manner, state laws that mandate changes to university policies may restrict UCLA’s flexibility in informing members of the community and desensitize those who go through sexual assault education programs.

“We understand the importance of appropriate communication and training, and will seriously consider the (California state auditor’s) recommendations as we reevaluate and update our materials and procedures,” Block said in the response.

The state audit, which was first announced in November for UCLA, evaluated UCLA’s compliance with major federal laws, including Title IX and the Clery Act, in its handling of sexual assault. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in institutions that receive federal funds, and the Clery Act requires universities to annually report statistics on sexual violence and other crimes.

Sexual assault on college campuses has drawn national attention in recent months. In May, the U.S. Department of Education announced it is investigating 55 American universities, including UC Berkeley, for possible violations of Title IX.

In an email statement to the UCLA community Tuesday, Block said that UCLA will evaluate the report’s recommendations before giving a more detailed response in 60 days.