VCU news

By Cassie Williams Jones

A national issue that makes headlines too often, campus sexual violence is a hot topic in the world of higher education. U.S. president Barack Obama has spoken out recently on the issue, stating that campus sexual violence has to be addressed.

In that spirit and  in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, members of the VCU community packed the Commons Theater on April 10, to learn more about Title IX, a landmark federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs and activities that receive federal funding.

Hosted by the Division for Inclusive Excellence, the open forum was attended by students, faculty, staff and administrators, and included guest speaker Daniel Swinton, J.D., Ed.D., senior executive vice president of The NCHERM Group, LLC. Swinton is a national consultant and trainer for colleges and universities on issues of Title IX and other sexual misconduct legal issues in higher education.

Swinton kicked off the event by presenting a real-life case study, then letting the audience members decide if the accused sexual predator was  guilty or not. The room had a surprising mix of opinions.

This difference in opinions could be because of the gray areas and subjective nature of Title IX cases, which is precisely why the Title IX leadership team at VCU decided to hold the forum – to bring some clarity to the policies and issues surrounding this elusive law.

“There’s nothing more important than treating each other well,” said VCU president Michael Rao, Ph.D., at the event.

Swinton focused much of his presentation on alcohol use and its connection to sexual misconduct. According to him, alcohol is the biggest date rape drug in the world. He also pointed out that Title IX does not apply to female students only.

The main focus, though, of Swinton’s discussion came down to helping others through listening and bystander intervention, which he says is “one of the best ways to prevent this type of thing from happening.”

“Please spread the message,” he said. “Recognize when there is a problem, and have the courage to do something when you see it.”

Many times, victims of sexual violence get blamed for their role in the incident, and sometimes people question the validity of the accusations. The number of false reports, however, is “remarkably low,” according to Swinton.

“If someone tells you that something has happened to them, listen – don’t judge,” he said.

Overall, Swinton believes there is a cultural shift surrounding sexual violence that needs to happen, one he believes is already happening at VCU.

“It’s unique to have this level of support at an institution for this topic,” Swinton said, referring to the involvement of Rao and Wanda Mitchell, Ed.D., vice president for inclusive excellence. Swinton also led a seminar that day for VCU’s senior leadership team, comprised of administrative executives, deans and other faculty and staff campus leaders.

VCU’s Title IX team consists of representatives from Inclusive Excellence, including the Office for Institutional Equity, as well as the Division of Student Affairs, Human Resources, VCU Police and VCU Athletics. These representatives are the points of contact for any Title IX complaints at VCU.

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