EDITORIAL Acting on its Charge

Author: [no author name found]

Among the many topics that dominated campus news last spring, none provoked more vociferous discussion than the College's policy on sexual assault. From a debate that initially took place silently on posters on the walls of academic buildings and residence halls and in the Opinions pages of this paper was created an informal "discussion group" of students and administrators charged with reviewing the policy and updating it.

The group, which must submit its findings to the Dean of Student Affairs in November, will have a full agenda this fall. The group must focus primarily on enhancing the procedural elements of the policy — how a victim can report sexual assault crimes to the Office of Public Safety — to give victims the choice of either filing a complete report or reporting the crime anonymously.

Allowing for anonymous reporting will mitigate victims' fears of coming forward to seek redress for crimes that are an unfortunate and heinous feature of college life. To lessen the chances of false reporting, the discussion group must also strongly advocate enhancing the quality of care at Parton Health Center by hiring nurses trained in sexual assault detection and counseling.

There is nothing wrong about addressing these issues, uncomfortable as they may be to some members of the College community. The discussion group is an effective means of broaching these topics, and it should act on its charge to revise a policy that is outdated and, in the realm of reporting and care, lacking.