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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The University of Minnesota is creating a special board of students, faculty members and staff to decide whether students accused of sexual assault should be punished.
University officials told the Star Tribune (http://strib.mn/2a4PDo7 ) that they plan to train a group of 35 volunteers to preside over hearings in an effort to manage a surge of complaints about sexual misconduct on campus.
Under federal rules, colleges and universities are required to investigate sexual assault as a form of student misconduct, and take appropriate action.
"We thought we could make some changes, make the overall process move faster," said Kimberly Hewitt, director of the university's equal opportunity and affirmative action office, which investigates sexual assault complaints.
In the past, students who were unhappy about the outcomes of the office's investigations could request a hearing with the Campus Committee on Student Behaviors, which also handles complaints about plagiarism and cheating.
Hewitt says there was increasing concern that the committee members needed more training to handle sexual assault allegations.
"We came to an understanding that more training needed to be done with this particular group," said Katie Eichele, director of the university's Aurora Center for Advocacy and Education, who was part of an advisory group that recommended the changes.
Eichele said the new panel will receive 20 hours of training, compared with five hours in previous years. The training will include how to weigh the credibility of witnesses and explain circumstances such as why trauma victims often delay coming forward.
"The 20 hours of training reinforces my concern that the panel will be unqualified," said Jonathan Taylor, founder of Title IX for All, a Texas advocacy group. "Universities simply don't have the competence or the training or the capacity or the resources to adjudicate these accusations."
But Hewitt said the university is taking pains to ensure that the process is fair to both sides and that the volunteers were vetted to ensure that they understand the issues and can remain objective.
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Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com
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