The Murray State News December 5, 2014
TheNews.org
Vol. 89, No. 15 She said she has two goals moving forward. The first is continuing to inform and educate the campus community on sexual assault. The second is to learn how, as a campus, Murray State can better respond to and support students who are impacted by violence. “There is always room to improve and moving forward is always about learning and improving,” French said. Increasing funds in the budget for programming in 2015-16 is one of the ways French wants the University to combat such a culture.
INCIDENTS THIS YEAR
Photo illustration by Fumi Nakamura/The News
GAINING STRENGTH University plans for confronting, solving sexual assault problems on, off campus
Rebecca Walter || Staff writer rwalter@murraystate.edu
With four sexual assaults reported involving Murray State students this semester alone, University leaders are working to educate the campus community on sexual assault and how to better respond to those impacted by it. Murray State is not alone. The topic has received national attention, with incidents this fall such as the recent rape allegations at University of Virginia, which led to the removal of Greek Life on campus and at Columbia University, where a student carried around her dorm mattress in protest to the way her assault was handled by university officials. The national media has heavily used the term “rape culture” to describe the handling – or lack of handling – of allegations on campus.
“Yes, I absolutely think there is a rape culture that plays a huge role in how these issues play out on college campuses, but I don’t think it is a product of the college campus, I think it is a product of society in general and how we respond to and deal with these situations,” said Abigail French, director of the Women’s Center. She said the overall culture is to blame the victim, question what the person did to warrant the assault and what could have been done to prevent it. She said a reaction is to keep these incidents quiet. “The fact that we have had students who have bravely come forward to report their experiences and ask for our help this semester is a reflection of the work that is already happening on our campus,” she said. “We have worked diligently to make sure that students know where to turn for help should they need it.”
In the first nine weeks of the semester, Public Safety and Emergency Management received more reported sexual assaults than in all of 2011, 2012 or 2013. The most recent incident of sexual assault this semester was reported at Springer Residential College on Oct. 16 at 12:36 a.m. The victim denied prosecution, and the case is closed. Another was a reported sexual assault that occurred on Oct. 9 at 8:11 p.m. at Regents Residential College. The victim knew the alleged assailant, according to a campus wide safety alert email sent on Oct. 10. The case is still under investigation. On Sept. 12 at 11:57 a.m., a student reported an incident of “unwanted sexual contact with an acquaintance”, at Regents. The incident occurred on Aug. 29. The victim declined prosecution and the case is closed. On Sept. 3, the first report of a student being sexually assaulted off campus was made from Hester Residential College. The incident is still being investigated by the Mayfield Police Department. Camisha Duffy, Title IX coordinator, said students across the country struggle with how they will be received by their peers if it comes out that they made a sexual assault allegation. “Historically, across the country, those who bring the allegations are concerned that others will not believe them and are hesitant to report for that reason,” she said. Another reason students might fear making a report is because they feel they would be pressured to file criminal
see ASSAULT, 2A
Administration Regents take campus tobacco free evaluations to go to President’s Office Amanda Grau || News editor agrau@murraystate.edu
Mary Bradley Editor-in-Chief
mbradley9@murraystate.edu
Mari-Alice Jasper
Katherine Farmer, director of curriculum materials center mjasper1@murraystate.edu and resource instruction librarian at Waterfield and vice After only a third of faculty president of Faculty Senate, voiced their opinions in the said the Faculty Senate rep2014 administrative evaluaresents each academic departtions, next year’s editions will ment and provides services be sent out by the President’s similar to what the Student office instead of being handled Government Association does by the Faculty Senate as they for students. have for four decades. College deans, department President Davies said facchairs and provosts are all ulty might take these evaluaadministrative positions that tions more seriously because faculty critique in their evalthey will be sent electronically uations. Farmer said the dean through the of each President’s college deoffice. termined “Whatin the past ever we can how the redo to create sults from 360 degree the evalufeedback ations will Helen Roulston, associate professor of English opportuhe handled. nities for faculty and She also said the senate still staff with regards to leaders is will have some input on the a good thing,” he said. administrative evaluations In the past, administrative even though they will be going evaluations have been used to through the President’s office. survey how well the admin Students and faculty said istration cooperates with the evaluations will be more benfaculty over the year. Although eficial if handled effectively. the evaluations aren’t made “It’s good because it propublic, they are reported to the vides a checks-and-balances administrator being evaluated, as well as that person’s supersystem for our university,” said visor. Miranda Bailey, senior from “I don’t view this as a puniMurray. tive situation, but as a way we Helen Roulston, associate can provide feedback that will professor of English, said like help administrators do their any institution, the University jobs better,” he said. has good administrators but Davies said evaluations help also ones who need the evaluadministration understand the ations to help them improve. university’s challenges and of“We need good administrators fers a chance to reflect on ways here to keep things functionto improve. ing smoothly,” she said. Assistant News Editor
We need good administrators here to keep things functioning smoothly.
WHAT’S
INSIDE
AIDS DAY
The Board of Regents voted Thursday to make the campus tobacco free, but President Bob Davies, with help from a committee, must iron out details of the new policy before the Regents’ February meeting. The Board also voted to build new sorority housing and raise faculty and staff salaries by 1 percent. But the proposed tobacco ban drew the most debate – and at times emotional comments – from the Regents. “The motion today made it very clear that Murray State will be a tobacco-free and a tobacco-like-free university,” Davies said. While the ban was apDavies proved, it will be implemented gradually over the next year, he said. Davies said starting immediately he will gather a group of administrators and other representatives from across campus to decide on a timeline for implementing the ban and a clear policy of how to enforce it, which will be presented to the board in February. Then, the Board will have to vote to approve it for the next academic year. By a 6-3 vote, the Board chose a full ban of tobacco, including cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and tobacco-like substances, such as e-cigarettes, over the other options of banning only smoking or just
tweaking the existing campus policy, which bars smoking in classroom buildings. Student Regent Michael Dobbs, Regent Phil Schooley and Chairman Harry Lee Waterfield II were the three who voted no. Waterfield said he was concerned about the safety of smokers and used the example of young women who might want to smoke late night. “It’s 11:30, 12 o’clock at night and some young co-ed has got to have a cigarette,” Waterfield said. “And no one wants to go with her so she has to go two, three hundred yards away to find a place to have a smoke.” Even though the ban will cover all forms of tobacco, including smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, the most important issue for members of the board was how to balance giving smokers space on campus and minimizing health risks from smoking. Regent Sharon Green, who supported a full ban, was moved to tears while explaining how her father was diagnosed with lung cancer while she was a student at Murray State. Green’s father passed away before her wedding. “Someone else had to walk me down the aisle,” she said. This fall the university created a task force that survey more than 6,000 Murray State students, faculty and staff. About 30 percent said they favored a tobacco ban, 24 percent said preferred going smokefree, and roughly 45 percent said they supported improving the tobacco environment, which would still allow tobacco on campus but would restrict its use to certain locations. Reflecting the majority of that poll, Dobbs voted against the full ban.
OUR VIEW
Monday was World AIDS Day, World AIDS Day deserves to be and the University took part, 6A recognized everywhere, 4A
“I don’t want to force people to do that,” he said. “I believe in personal choice. I think that’s an important part of college life. But I also want to encourage healthy behaviors as well.” Dobbs recommended restricting tobacco on campus
and revisiting the issue later. The majority of the board, however, said the time had come for a full ban because of the dangerous health effects of tobacco use.
see REGENTS, 2A
Davies brings enrollment, marketing under his office Amanda Grau || News editor agrau1@murraystate.edu
President Bob Davies said Thursday he will move undergraduate admissions and Murray State’s marketing and communications arm directly under the President’s office, underscoring his goal to improve student recruitment for the University. Fred Dietz, currently the Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, will head the combined first-year freshmen and transfer admissions office, which will move under the President’s office effective July 1, 2015. The renamed “Branding Marketing and Communications” division will begin reporting to the President’s office Jan. 1. Davies also will create an executive director position for which he will launch a national search and shift around money in the office in order to cover the salary. Davies said his background in the marketing field gives insight into the way the office should run and what its goals should be. Davies holds a masters degree in finance and marketing. He announced his plans at the Board of Regents meeting. The regents endorsed the moves but because of a procedural change earlier this year, the Board no
longer has to formally approve personnel actions other than ones involving vice presidents and academic deans. This reorganization marks Davies’ first major changes to the University’s organization since he became President July 14. After being hired in March, Davies said he would wait six months before making any major decisions for the University. The moves tied in with another key discussion in Thursday’s meeting: improving recruiting future students. Murray State reached a record total enrollment of 11,207 this semester, buoyed largely by an increase in transfers. However, the number of full-time firstyear freshmen slid for the second year in a row 1,490, which also marked a four-year low. The board received findings of a study of Murray State’s recruitment and marketing effort. It showed the University’s has struggled to form a strong impression — especially regarding academic strength — to potential students outside of the 18 western Kentucky counties that comprise the University’s primary service area. For more on this, go online to TheNews.org.
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