UTSA updates initiative on preventing sexual assault and misconduct

Sept. 27, 2019 -- Editor's Note: UTSA Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Students LT Robinson sent this email to UTSA faculty, staff and students today. 

Dear Roadrunners,

I am writing with updates on the efforts of the President’s Initiative on Preventing Sexual Assault and Misconduct as well as information on upcoming educational programs. We have made much progress over the last several weeks to further our comprehensive approach to preventing and responding to sexual violence on campus. 

System Improvements
Campus reporting has been centralized in Maxient, a comprehensive database streamlining referrals and information for behavioral issues, including sexual assault and misconduct. Several campus partners, including Student Conduct and Community Standards, Student Activities, EOS/Title IX, Campus Recreation and the Behavioral Intervention Team, completed the onboarding process. Additionally, Title IX staff and the hearing officers that adjudicate violations of the UTSA Student Code of Conduct completed training on trauma-informed care.

Effective this semester, UTSA is the first university in the nation to implement the Tracy Rule, the most comprehensive misconduct rule in the NCAA attaching student-athlete eligibility to behavior.

As part of our membership in the Culture of Respect Collective, action plans are being developed to align with the CORE Blueprint, comprised of six key proactive pillars focused on challenging and removing unwanted behaviors on campus. 

Advocacy and Support
The Office of Student Advocacy, Violence Prevention and Empowerment has been renamed the UTSA PEACE Center (Prevention, Education, Advocacy, Consultation and Empowerment), is now a part of the Office of Inclusive Excellence, and has been relocated to the Recreation Wellness Center near Student Health Services and Counseling. These changes align with the best practices in sexual violence prevention and position the center to provide support to all students, faculty and staff survivors of sexual violence.

The PEACE Center is staffed by a director and a prevention specialist who are charged with creating educational campaigns and trainings about sexual violence, misconduct, consent and healthy relationships. The center also includes a student advocate to assist students who have been victims of sexual violence and/or intimate partner violence by providing crisis intervention, safety planning, reporting option education and emotional support. Students do not need to report incidents to authorities in order to receive assistance from the student advocate, and all meetings and services are confidential. Please contact the PEACE Center for more information on these new service areas. 

The UTSA Student Ombudsperson continues to serve as a respondent advocate in compliance with Title IX regulations. 

Programming and Training
There are several events this fall featuring sexual violence prevention topics, including consent education, bystander intervention, healthy relationships and #SetTheExpectation. I encourage you to attend as many as possible. Traditions like Rowdy Wing Fling and National Night Out bring our community together and provide opportunities to expand our knowledge about these important topics. Mark your calendars for Monday, October 14 as Take Back the Night joins the Homecoming event lineup for the first time.

I hope you will consider exploring the many training opportunities available on campus, including Bringing in the Bystander and offerings by Human Resources. Making time in your schedule to complete these trainings is an important step toward a greater understanding of sexual assault and misconduct issues. We can all take steps to contribute to campus-wide community safety by being aware of available support and services. As a reminder, faculty and staff are required to report any disclosure of sexual violence to the Title IX Coordinator. It is important to tell students about your obligation to report prior to hearing a disclosure and to provide them with options. Students can visit the student advocate for support (without reporting), or choose to report to either the Equal Opportunity Services/Title IX Office or the UTSA Police Department. I encourage you to review the resources available on the Safe Campus website and familiarize yourself with referral options.

Thank you for everything you do to help create a safe environment for all our Roadrunners.

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