M Falling into place For a greater Loyola University • New Orleans • Vol. 93 • Issue 19
The Maroon FEB. 27, 2015
After a year of planning, the university announced how it will rearrange its colleges to create an atmosphere of collaboration and learning
By Burke Bischoff bwbischo@loyno.edu @Burke_Maroon
Loyola’s University Senate has decided on a new college structure, which includes the restoration of a former college and changes to existing colleges. On Feb. 20, Marc Manganaro, provost and vice president of academic affairs, announced the new model, which is said to help move the university forward in becoming a collaborative, learning-centered institution by the fall of 2016. The new structure will restore the College of Arts and Sciences — taking departments from the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences and combining them with programs from the College of Social Sciences. Manganaro said two committees, the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Structures and the Provost’s Advisory Committee for University Restructuring, worked on gathering data for the plan with faculty input during 2014. He said the best interest of the students as well as making Loyola a learning-cen-
tered community were at the heart of the decision. “It is the intention that the restructuring will move us toward a more streamlined and efficient course registration and advising practices,” Manganaro said. “The decisions on restructuring will also be discussed and factored into the work of the consultant and the advisory committee on the university’s long-term financial equilibrium.” One of the changes included in the restructuring includes dissolving the College of Social Sciences. Roger White, interim dean of the College of Social Sciences, said once the restructuring plan is fully implemented, he will return to his role as a professor. “When the reorganization process is concluded, I will resume my teaching duties and those administrative tasks requested of me at the pleasure of the provost,” White said. The restructuring plan also includes moving the School of Mass
Communication to the College of Arts and Sciences, which was the topic of much discussion in the development process, according to Manganaro’s email announcement. Manganaro said that Maria Calzada, future dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Sonya Duhé, director of the School of Mass Communication, are currently discussing concerns regarding the school’s transition. “Mass Communication will remain a school with a director, and the full expectation is that it will thrive within a reconstituted College of Arts and Sciences,” Manganaro said. “Throughout this year, I will work with the School of Mass Communication on this transition, as I will with other units that are seeing changes in reporting.” White said he would help with restructuring all of the schools that are affected during the next year. “My task will be to help the process of reorganization in such a way that we maintain continuity of service for the students, faculty and staff of all the rel-
evant departments and schools,” White said. Manganaro said changes in the university’s staff as a result of the restructuring are yet to be determined. “There will be many discussions at many levels throughout the coming year,” Manganaro said. “Also, there is no intention or plan to reduce workforce.” White said he took the position of interim dean of the College of Social Sciences so he could focus on those administrative duties needed for the schools and departments under his purview. He said he respects the restructuring process and the work it is tasked with improving upon. “The provost has had consultative process in play on the matter of reorganization,” White said. “I support and respect that process.”
KARLA ROSAS / Design Chief
Professor’s sexual assault study shows low rates of reporting By Lauren Saizan lesaizan@loyno.edu @Lauren_Maroon
Two on-campus sexual assaults have been reported to LUPD for the 2014-2015 school year, but research suggests that the real number of on-campus sexual assaults may be higher. In his study on Loyola and Tulane students, Marcus Kondkar, associate professor and chair of the sociology department, asked both men and women questions about their perceptions of sexual assault, such as their experiences, beliefs, gender dating scripts and what they think is appropriate in certain situations. He found that only 4 percent of women who experienced an act of sexual coercion legally considered
rape in Louisiana reported it to someone empowered to take action. Kondkar said that a lack of knowledge about resources available on campus creates complications in reporting sexual assaults. “One of the greatest barriers to reporting is that people have no idea where to go or what to do, and also, more importantly, what will happen when they report,” Kondkar said. Lieutenant Angela Honora said that the Loyola University Police Department tries to help students as much as possible when they report a sexual assault. “The only thing we’re learning right now is that all sexual assaults are not reported, but for those that are reported, we assist the student in every way to see if they want to follow the NOPD or if they want the university to handle the disciplinary
action among the person that committed the assault,” Honora said. Kondkar said that for many women, sexual coercion is about a loss of control, and experiencing a further loss of control over how the case will be handled may be a reason why victims are hesitant to report sexual assaults. “There are all kinds of reasons why they go unreported. The primary reason that seems to crop up over and over again is that the victim feels partially responsible, so there’s a lot of self-blame that happens in these things,” Kondkar said. Tate Havens-Morris, business management freshman, said that she also recognizes victim-blaming as a factor of why sexual assaults go unreported. Kondkar said that another reason is that victims want to leave their as-
sault experience in the past or they might not define it as seriously as another person might. He found that only 20 percent of the students he surveyed who had experienced what is considered rape in Louisiana recognized their experiences as rape. Kondkar has also found in his research that in terms of precautionary measures, women tend to have a “laundry list” of things that they do to keep themselves safe from interpersonal violence that is simply not a part of men’s consciousness. “We kind of have this inverse image of reality. Typically, people feel that the greatest risk is somebody jumping out of the bushes on their way to The Boot, as opposed to the more realistic source of the problem, which is probably someone you’re dating, or at least an acquain-
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tance,” Kondkar said. While Kondkar said the truth is much harder to recognize, he also said that many people are more comfortable with the idea of a pathological stranger harming us than a friend. Kondkar also said that more sexual assaults happen in places where victims would ordinarily feel safe. “The places that they do happen at are the places where the victim reports being the safest because there’s no stranger threat. At a party, at a person’s home — these are places where acquaintances come together, not strangers,” Kondkar said. Among his findings, Kondkar said that relationship instability is also associated with higher risks, as is intoxication.
See STATISTICS, page 3