Building community together, through empathy and empowerment.
Campus safety continues to serve as a critical issue for all students at William & Mary. You deserve to be and feel safe. The role of SA should be to listen and work with campus stakeholders to resolve areas of inadequacy. It is also crucial that our community engage in continuing education for sexual assult prevention and increase survivor support. We believe and support all survivors.
Purpose & Background
Though limited resources exist regarding active shooter scenarios, we believe that there is a lack of student education and outreach to ensure all students are prepared.
Implementation & Action Items
There are several potential avenues for increased education and awareness, including: online training modules that are mandated for new students, in-person events promoting resources and protocols, training during Orientation, creation of an accessible resource guide, and a social media campaign.
Sources:
https://www.wm.edu/about/administration/emergency/response/guide/active_shooter/index.php
Purpose & Background
Given the high volume of students visiting local alcohol-serving institutions, we believe that it would be beneficial to encourage a community conversation on student safety and methods to mitigate unsafe conditions.
Implementation & Action Items
We would work with the Williamsburg and William & Mary Police Departments, City Officials, campus administrators, and local business owners to facilitate a discussion, encourage trainings, and keep an open line of communication.
Purpose & Background
Our administration deeply cares for the student body and wants to ensure every member of the community feels safe, especially around law enforcement and the police. We believe it is crucial to get the input of the community to assess how the relationship between the William & Mary community and the William & Mary Police Department (WMPD) can be made better. The current avenue for feedback is an email address, which does not facilitate anonymity.
Implementation & Action Items
Create a form with options to:
Describe overall experience with the WMPD
Specific incidents that have occurred
Make suggestions to improve the experience with the WMPD in the future
Additionally, our administration will continue to make it a priority to meet with WMPD and campus stakeholders to discuss the information presented in the form. After taking a look at the responses made, more specific action items will be made to ensure the correct steps are taken to create a community in which every student feels safe and comfortable on campus.
Sources:
https://www.wm.edu/offices/police/about/buildingcommunitytrustthroughvaluesinaction/index.php
https://www.wm.edu/offices/police/about/missionstatementoathofoffice/index.php
Continued/prospective status of the Callisto sexual assault reporting system
Purpose & Background
Callisto is a sexual violence reporting program that allows survivors more agency of what happens to their story. It was created by survivors for survivors. For example, if a survivor does not want their report to go straight to the admin/Title IX office, they can check a box that says that Callisto will hold onto their report unless another survivor comes forward about their experience with the same perpetrator, at which point it will be sent down the Title IX chain.
Implementation & Action Items
Our administration will begin initial conversations with the Office of Compliance & Equity to gauge the viability of implementing Callisto at W&M. Additional research and conversations with students will be conducted to garner the support of this program. We believe that just having discussions can also help bring greater awareness for survivor support.
Sources:
Permanent implementation of “Alternative Resolution” system for survivors
Purpose & Background
The Alternative Resolution (AR) is intended to be based on restorative justice and allow survivors agency outside of a punitive system. Some survivors do not want their perpetrators to be punished, but instead, want an acknowledgment of the harm done to them and to facilitate a resolution. However, in order to access the AR, you have to formally report through Title IX and the Title IX staff has to determine your eligibility. They are piloting the AR this semester.
The AR should not be only accessible through the Title IX office. It should be housed under the Haven. If the goal is to provide survivors with more agency, they should not have to formally report to the Title IX office in order to achieve some sort of resolution.
A case is ineligible for the AR if the perpetrator involved has already had a case go through the AR. This is antithetical to the goal of the AR. If a perpetrator has committed some sort of harm again after going through the process, then the process didn’t work that time. AR should be available regardless of the perpetrator’s past.
Implementation & Action Items
We would work with the Office of Compliance & Equity, the Haven, and other relevant offices to advocate for permanent status of this program, in addition to expanding its scope to the Haven. Greater steps to advertise this program should be taken to ensure that survivors are provided with more agency and are aware of this option.
Sources:
https://www.equalrights.org/alternative-resolution/
https://titleix.ucsc.edu/resolution-options/alternative-resolution.html
Educate students on updated Title IX policies
Purpose & Background
With the expected changes to Title IX policies by the Biden-Harris Administration, students should be educated on all relevant changes immediately.
Implementation & Action Items
We would work with the Office of Compliance & Equity and other relevant offices advise an outreach plan to maximize student outreach. This campaign could include: social media graphics, town hall forum, office hours, information sessions, and Recognized Student Organization-based education.
Sources: