Dottavio announces new steps to combat sexual assault
By Rachel Peoples—
Tarleton President Dominic Dottavio announced May 9 several steps the university administration is taking to combat sexual assault on campus.
“I want to assure you that Tarleton State University does not condone, tolerate or ignore any sexual assault, and seeks to provide a climate of dignity and respect in order to prevent the occurrence of such crimes,” Dottavio said in a campus-wide email. “Working with The Texas A&M University System, we are moving to create greater awareness of this issue, provide better training opportunities for faculty, staff and students, and develop an enhanced climate of support and services for anyone who is a victim of sexual assault.”
The steps administration is taking include:
Requiring all new students to go through a program on sexual violence prevention, starting fall 2014.
Creating a new Tarleton webpage to call awareness to sexual assault and to provide “materials aimed at creating a positive climate and preventing sexual assaults.”
Implementing a training program to “provide knowledge and resources for faculty and staff” campus wide.
The email also invites everyone to attend Texas Association Against Sexual Assault’s regional sexual assault training Thursday, May 15 In Stephenville. Call 254-965-5516 or email bla@ctfshelp.org to register or to find out more information. Participation is limited to 50.
The email said that administration will have more information in the fall about the university’s efforts to combat sexual assault. “We are taking firm steps to create a campus culture of sexual assault prevention and accountability consistent with our core values and student focus,” the email read.
Dottavio’s announcement came 11 days after Texan News reported that five sex offenses were reported to campus police in 2013. In a column, senior editors also called on the university to “stand up for those who have been assaulted” and asked why the university doesn’t required sexual assault education for all incoming freshmen.
