CHLOE KOWALYK
Staff Writer
If you’ve been checking your email, you may have noticed an email from SUNY with the subject: “Take the Campus Climate Survey, receive a $100 gift card.”
No, this isn’t a scam from some sketchy website that just wants your mother’s maiden name and the three digits on the back of your credit card.
Actually, the Campus Climate Survey is a brief set of questions that is used to gather information about student and faculty experiences with both sexual and interpersonal violence and their knowledge of campus policies and resources.
The survey is from SUNY, and all SUNY campuses are required to complete the survey.
Dr. Saundra Liggins, the Interim Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at SUNY Fredonia, said that SUNY wants to know “how responsive each of the SUNY campuses are to instances of sexual assault [and] harassment.”
SUNY then uses the data to help improve the campus community’s awareness of resources for sexual violence.
The survey is sent out every two years and is part of a state and SUNY policy that requires colleges to share any and all available resources regarding sexual violence.
Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sexual discrimination in any activites that receive federal funding. This discrimination also includes sexual harassment, rape and sexual assault.
However, SUNY Fredonia doesn’t stop there in their efforts to keep students safe.
Liggins said that RAs must go through diversity training, which partly entails how to help a student who comes to an RA with issues of sexual violence.
As the Title IX Coordinator, Liggins talks to resident assistants, residence directors and the student association about this process and how it fits into student conduct.
“It’s really just about getting information out about what students can do if they’ve experienced any type of sexual violence,” she said.
If a student has any issues regarding sexual violence, they should visit SUNY Fredonia’s website to access a list of services and contact information for help.
Some of these resources include but are not limited to: University Police, Dr. Saundra Liggins, the Student Health Center, Brooks Memorial Hospital, the Counseling Center and the Anew Center.
According to Liggins, the rise in social media has changed what sexual harassment looks like.
“Now, harassment can occur over Twitter or Facebook. I also think that social media has really changed the way that people communicate it,” she said.
With social media, students can quickly post updates or message their friends.
“Frequently, lots of people will know about something that’s happened even before someone comes to the Diversity Office for an investigation,” said Liggins.
She explains that social media can make things very challenging.
“Certainly people want privacy, but [they] also want to tell [their] friends for support, but that can get out of hand really quickly.”
Overall, Liggins says that the campus’ goal regarding the combating of sexual violence encompasses two factors.
“[Fredonia] hopes to reduce the number of incidences of sexual harassment and sexual assault, and to make sure that we have a clear and fair process for both the alleged victim and for the alleged perpetraitor so that the process is fair and clear to everyone.”
Students who fill out the Campus Climate Survey will be entered in a drawing to win one of 150 Amazon gift cards. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete, and students can skip questions or stop responding at any point. If you or someone you know has expereinced sexual violence, please contact one of the above resources or visit SUNY Fredonia’s website for further guidance.