The University Judiciary Committee has reconfigured a subcommittee on sexual misconduct in an effort to participate more in the University-wide effort to prevent and spread awareness about sexual assault.
Though sexual misconduct is a violation of the 12 standards of conduct which fall under UJC’s jurisdiction, UJC does not actually adjudicate cases of sexual misconduct. Federal guidelines recommend colleges have a separate body oversee these cases.
The role of the subcommittee, then, will be to work with other organizations on Grounds who are already involved with sexual violence prevention work. UJC Chair Timothy Kimble said the subcommittee’s direction is not yet defined. Perhaps the direction will become clearer once the leaders are selected.
At this early stage of its development, one can only speculate about the potential accomplishments of this UJC subcommittee. Similar to the Honor Committee, the student organization has demonstrated a desire to find solutions to a pervasive problem, the cases of which do not — and cannot — actually fall under their jurisdiction. But there are ways of participating in the effort beyond that.
One possible role could be assisting in University-wide education efforts, both about the procedures of sexual misconduct cases at the University and what it means to abide by the 12 standards of conduct. Just as Honor has attempted to adopt a dual role of both an adjudicator and an advocacy group for encouraging honorable behavior, UJC could incorporate sexual misconduct education into its attempt to promote a culture of respect. Additionally, it is essential for students to know exactly what constitutes a violation of these standards.
A recent survey conducted at Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed that many students did not know how to define sexual assault. There was a significant discrepancy between the number of students who said they had experienced various forms of unwanted sexual contact and the number of students who answered “yes” when explicitly asked if they had been raped or sexually assaulted.
If there is a lack of understanding from the victims about what constitutes a violation, there conceivably could be a lack of understanding from perpetrators, or other members of the community. Closing this gap in knowledge could influence conduct and influence the student responses when survivors confide in their peers about their experiences, creating a culture of greater support.
Another potential role of this subcommittee could be working with University officials to examine data after they conduct their own climate survey. Comparisons between the incidence of sexual misconduct and other infractions over which UJC has jurisdiction could be helpful in assessing the gravity of the situation at the University.
The goal of the Hoos Got Your Back campaign is to involve everyone at the University, and UJC has taken an initiative to do its part in this campaign. Many student groups have been working tirelessly on this issue, because many hands make light work. Make no mistake — this work is heavy. But with even more students carrying the weight together, the burden will hopefully soon be alleviated.
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