Dear members of the Colgate community,
I write to ask for your help in confronting the problem of sexual violence in our community. Along with 53 other colleges and universities, in spring of 2015, Colgate participated in the Higher Education Data Sharing (HEDS) Consortium Sexual Assault Campus Climate Survey. The survey’s deeply troubling findings tell us about the frequency of unwanted sexual contact and sexual assault on our campus and students’ perceptions of Colgate’s response to sexual violence.
My goal is to face this challenge head on and to redouble our efforts in supporting survivors and creating a healthier campus climate. We will be transparent in sharing these data and have already reviewed the findings with a number of campus groups, including the president’s staff, the Sexual Climate Advisory Committee (SCAC), the Dean’s Advisory Council, Student Government Association and other student leaders, the Student Affairs Board, and at today’s faculty meeting.
You can read an overview of the key findings, as well as the entire frequency report provided by HEDS.
Although a single survey cannot tell us how to change the campus culture, it can provide some context for discussion from which to measure our progress. Campus discussions, to allow all members of the community a place to provide insights and to ask questions, have been scheduled for this Thursday, 11/5, at 11:30 a.m. in the Center for Women’s Studies, Thursday, 11/5 at 4:15 p.m., and Wednesday, 11/11 at 4:15 p.m. in the chapel basement.
Colgate has supported a number of Sexual Assault Prevention Initiatives to confront these problems, but there is still much more to be done. I ask for your help. These are not just numbers we are sharing, but the voices of our students, and they must be heard. Their experiences will influence positive change at Colgate. We all need to commit to personally confronting sexual violence on campus.
Sincerely,
Suzy Nelson
Vice President and Dean of the College
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