DAILY EGYPTIAN SIU fights to prevent sexual assault
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STOREY MAYER Daily Egyptian This upcoming fall semester, the university is making changes to ensure the safety of its students and campus. The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act requires colleges to train all new students, faculty and staff in recognizing, reporting and preventing sexual assault. SIU has fulfilled the requirement by implementing new procedures to better acquaint the students and faculty with sexual assault response. Before students even begin classes, they will have already gone through an extensive online awareness program known as Haven, an online sexual assault module. Chad Trisler, director of student rights and responsibilities, said past students have already taken the course during the third week of their freshmen year. The program is being moved up to better prepare the students before they begin classes. “It gives everyone some baseline information on how to be in a respectful relationship, keep safe on campus, and look out for other students,” Trisler said. “It will ensure that everyone has a consistent knowledge base on how to stay safe and help other people out.” Once on campus, the student will be further trained in a classroom setting. The additional requirement is called Saluki Steps. The primary goal of the onehour class is to teach students to be good bystanders and ways to intervene when someone is being taken advantage of. All employees will go through training the first week of the fall semester as well. They will be informed on how to help someone who has been a victim and how to keep the spaces they are in control of safe. “It’s all about making sure that SIU is the best possible environment for our students to focus on education,” Trisler said. “People shouldn’t have to worry about being a victim of one of these crimes.” Lieutenant Ryan House, administrative services commander of SIU Department of Public Safety, said the training and awareness would be no small task. “Often, faculty and staff are the first ones notified of a sexual assault, so this provides them with the reporting procedures and resources available,” House said. “The downside is the logistical concerns with training such a large number in such a short time frame.” The university averages 3,500 incoming freshmen each year and 7,000 total employees. Every single one of the approximately 10,500 people will have to go through the training process. Megan Jones-Williams, project coordinator of rape crisis services at the Women’s Center, said she supports the new requirements. She said she believes they will help lower the rate of sexual assault and not only will it be beneficial to the university, but to the community as a whole. “What happens at SIU affects others in the community, so we see this as a great initiative,” Williams said. “SIU is the leader in the area, so often times when they do something other educational venues follow suit.” Please see PREVENTION · 2
ABOVE: Kelly Neville, Yoga Instructor at the Recreation Center leads Yoga and Yogurt, a summer program put on by SIU Extended Campus and the Recreation Center. Megan Campbell, graduate assistant for SIU Extended Campus (far left), and Amber Manning-Ouellette (left), director of enrollment at the college of business (right), follow Neville’s lead. RIGHT: Mona Harpalani, Carbondale resident, follows Neville’s lead. This is the second time for this event that is held outside on the Pulliam Lawn. JAMIE EADER DAILY EGYPTIAN
Updates create better environment KETURAH TANNER Daily Egyptian While students are busy updating phones and laptops, staff is busy updating campus for the new school year. New streetlights, better technology and more classrooms are all in store for upcoming semesters. Once spring semester ended, campus updates began. Multiple classroom renovations and streetlight updates started May 15, Phil Gatton, director of the Physical Plant, said. New classrooms in Pulliam Hall, better air systems in
Faner Hall, faster communications and new streetlights should all be ready for fall semester. New ceiling and flooring is being installed in Faner Hall, Neckers and the Agriculture Building. Several classrooms were in need of maintenance work and many needed technology updates with laptops and issues with projectors. In the past, controlling the heating and air conditioning temperatures in Faner Hall was difficult. The Physical Plant staff has since replaced heating and air units in several classrooms and is working on the University Museum and Auditorium.
“It will be much more cost efficient and easier to maintain,” Gatton said. He said the temperatures should be more moderate making the classrooms comfortable for students. Those in Pulliam Hall will also see major changes. The pool and gym areas are being converted into studio, lab and classroom space, Gatton said. Art and Design classes, as well as social work classes, will be using the new areas. The work began August 2012 and is currently on schedule. Please see UPDATE · 2