Report: UW-Madison Has Increased Efforts To Address Sexual Assault

A new report by the Association of American Universities shows the University of Wisconsin-Madison has improved its efforts to address sexual assault on campus.

The changes came after a 2015 campus-wide sexual assault climate survey found 27.6 percent of undergraduate females at UW-Madison experienced sexual assault.

Dr. Sarah Van Orman, executive director of UW-Madison’s University Health Services, said the 2015 survey results were shocking but in many ways not surprising. The results aligned closely with nationwide findings of rates of sexual assaults on college campuses, but the 2015 survey gave the university specific areas that needed to be addressed.

“The results really provided very specific information about our campus,” Van Orman said. “They were really able to galvanize leadership, most importantly students, faculty and staff to really move ahead rapidly with a number of different initiatives.”

Van Orman said there has been a culture change on campus since seeing the 2015 results and there is a more active approach of handling sexual assault incidents.

“We have this level of commitment throughout our organizations, student, faculty, staff, that it’s not acceptable,” she said. “We’re going to hold people accountable, we’re going to support survivors when they come forward, and we’re going to try to prevent these things.”

All incoming and transfer students at UW-Madison are now required to participate in two sexual assault prevention programs, one online and one in person.

She said there has also been an increase in efforts aimed at helping students that have been disproportionately affected by violence, including LGBT students and students with disabilities.

A release from the university said three more staff members were added to the university’s Violence Prevention and Survivor Services Unit.

The AAU report was released Wednesday and is based on the review of campus programs and shows “universities are strengthening policies, programs, and other initiatives to address the issue,” over the last three academic years, according to an AAU press release.

Fifty-five institutions partook in the report.