Task forces suggests changes to handling sexual assaults

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A University of Kansas task force is advising the school to establish an on-campus center for sexual assault prevention and education as part of a report recommending changes in how the college handles rape.

The report released last week focuses on the prevention of sexual assaults, said Alesha Doan, associate professor of political science and co-chairwoman of the task force. She said the center for prevention and education is "by far" the biggest priority, because under its umbrella, other recommendations could be implemented, overseen and evaluated.

Other suggestions include requiring all freshmen to live in residence halls and clarifying that the university can discipline for sexual violence that occurs off campus if the victim is a student, the Lawrence Journal-World (http://bit.ly/1PgaToe ) reported.

Requiring all freshmen to living in campus housing would help them adjust to college life, the report states. It would reinforce the school's first-year programming by helping freshmen learn more about consent and inform them about campus and community resources.

The report also calls for clarifying procedures for making a sexual assault complaint and changing protocols to ensure that victims who report sexual violence to faculty or other university staff are immediately connected with a trained advocate.

Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said universities must simultaneously act as enforcers, resources to victims and quasi-legal bodies, creating a complex challenge for school officials.

"We cannot let our legal obligations prevent us from doing what is the best thing for our community," Gray-Little said. "We need to figure out a way."

Doan said task force members heard from hundreds of people and conducted a large amount of research since convening last fall.

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Information from: Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World, http://www.ljworld.com

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