CUNY-WIDE POLICY MOVEMENT GAINS MOMENTUM: COFOUNDERS REVEAL SURVEY RESULTS TO TASKFORCE

Our second press release was sent out on October 31, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Students for a Greater CUNY
October 31, 2008

CUNY-WIDE POLICY MOVEMENT GAINS MOMENTUM: COFOUNDERS
REVEAL SURVEY RESULTS TO TASKFORCE

Sexual Assault policy taskforce to improve student information on sexual assault

New York, NY- The CUNY-wide sexual assault policy movement is gaining momentum. Student taskforce members and co-founders of the movement, Jerin Alam and Elischia Fludd, have kept the taskforce accountable to the students of CUNY, the largest stakeholders in the policy. Their efforts are finally paying off. The dynamic duo revealed the results of a survey of student knowledge of campus sexual assault policies that was widely distributed throughout CUNY via the Internet to the taskforce at their first meeting on October 21st.

Alam and Fludd received a total of 542 responses from 18 of the 23 CUNY campuses by distributing the link to their contacts throughout the University. Survey responses were received from Freshmen through Doctoral students, as well as a few alumni, faculty, BA-MA students and an exchange student to CUNY from Paris.

The most salient results of the survey are that 60-86% of students indicated that they are not aware of the information their college has pertaining to sexual assault, including counseling services, prevention education and disciplinary procedures for when a sexual assault occurs. Over half of students indicated that their college is inadequate in providing information about sexual assault. Moreover, 50-80% of students prefer to receive information about sexual assault through conventional measures such as in the student handbook and on the college website, but also through rape crisis services and mandatory classes.

In response to such overwhelming results, the taskforce unanimously decided to make a strong commitment to adhere to student opinions by including prevention education and training in the system-wide policy. Alam and Fludd remain optimistic that the initial draft of the policy that will be introduced in December will reflect the best interest of all stakeholders within CUNY and meet federal standards.

The taskforce will meet again in December to polish the draft of the policy before scheduling town hall meetings at CUNY campuses in different boroughs to gather feedback from the CUNY community. Alam and Fludd are collecting letters of support for the components of the policy to include the services and information students have asked for.
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