Sexual violence on college campuses is a silent, stigmatized epidemic, and no campus is exempt. Even universities absent from the Department of Education’s list of colleges currently under investigation for violating federal laws meant to protect survivors of sexual assault – Title IX and the Clery Act – desperately need to improve their policies, prevention and response in order to adequately support their students. We have to improve all universities and create a campus culture of consent with or without a federal investigation.
As a large public university with 10 unique campuses, the University of California faces a few difficult barriers in creating that culture. The UCs have relatively less funding than private schools, and the campuses vary in size, resources and general climate. It is vital to have conversations about how to improve sexual assault prevention and response on individual campuses, but making changes UC-wide will ensure that hundreds of thousands of students receive the options they need.
The UC addressed this issue by forming the UC presidential task force on preventing and responding to sexual violence and sexual assault. The five working groups, which advise the task force, are made up of university faculty, staff, administrators and students from across the UC. They are: Title IX, campus police, student conduct, associate vice chancellor and dean of students, and prevention, advocacy and survivor services.
However, a total of only six students sit on the task force and working groups. Although the university employees involved are concerned for students, and work to provide more resources and support for students, they are not student survivors. They do not have the same exposure to the reporting process as those who have gone through it or helped their friends go through it. The ultimate goal of this work is to better help student survivors in the future, so student survivor input is essential.
To try to better represent the diverse needs and experiences of students across the UC, we have created a survey for anonymous student input. We are not statisticians, but we will summarize and organize the responses into reports for each of the five working groups and a cumulative report for the task force. We understand that we cannot speak for all students or all survivors – in fact, it would be inappropriate to try to do so. However, in order to truly be a “national leader in combating sexual violence on campus,” the UC must listen to student voices. We hope this survey will allow us to include more of the 233,000 undergraduate and graduate voices in this crucial conversation.
If you feel comfortable, please take a few minutes to fill out our survey and let us hear your voice: tinyurl.com/UCStudentSurvey.
Badalich is a fourth-year gender studies student, the Undergraduate Students Association Council student wellness commissioner, founder of 7000 in Solidarity and a student representative on the UC presidential task force on preventing and responding to sexual violence and sexual assault.
Warner is a third-year sociology student at UC Berkeley, chair of the Associated Students of the University of California Sexual Assault Commission, co-chair of Greeks Against Sexual Assault, and a student representative on the Working Group working with the UC presidential task force.
Ms. Badalich is certifiably ridiculous in her assertions and position. She’s logically, factually and intellectually challenged and, after hearing what this vapid, vacuous simpleton said about marital “consent” and “consent” in relationships I’d advise any and every man not date or be alone with this person or women like her. She’s utterly clueless about relationships and wants to engage in a contract each time there is consensual activity but allow the woman to make false assertions or claims at will. How ironic. She’s going to have a very difficult time making a living in the real world unless she: 1. Goes into “Women’s Studies” and receives tenure for field that has no practical application or value; 2. Goes to work for NOW extorting corporate America along with the likes of Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson and Martha Burk who always seem to show up with their hands out.; or, 3. Works for a politician braying about “issues” that don’t exist.
For example: There are 1696 athletes in the NFL. Of that number there have been 10 (yes, only 10) that since December 1, 2012 (the date of the Jovan Belcher incident) that been charged with DV. That makes .005% of the total athletes in the league. The DV % of the NFL is less than 1/2 of that of the general population of America. Those in Law Enforcement are 4x (FOUR TIMES) more likely to have a domestic violence issue (how ironic). A Harvard study shows that 70% of all non-reciprocal domestic violence is perpetrated and committed by women.
I’m all for consent but lets not make this ridiculous. If 2 drunk people engage in consensual activities and the woman has buyers remorse the next day it’s not a sexual assault. It’s time we treated women as they wish to be treated, as equals, and make them just as accountable, responsible and liable for their decisions and actions as men are and have them suffer the exact same consequences and not allow them to be treated as privileged class. Heretofore, they have not been treated as being responsible. The door swings both ways. Smart men will avoid women like Ms. Badalich like the plague.
It was entirely predictable that Ms. Badalich is a “women’s studies”/”gender studies” student. Good luck getting a job with that kind of useless and inapplicable “degree”. This is beyond ridiculous. When she can’t pay her rent she’ll be forced to sling hash or clean hotel rooms.