CHLOE KOWALYK
Editor in Chief
SUNY Fredonia has officially released the results of the Sexual Violence Prevalence (SVP) Campus Climate Survey Report.
This report was prepared by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion here on campus.
The SVP Campus Climate Survey is administered to students and employees, and gauges their knowledge on Title IX, campus policies about sexual assault, how to report sexual assault and violence, the resources available on campus, the prevalence of sexual assault and domestic violence, bystanders and bystander attitudes, the amount of reports of sexual assault made to the University and reasons survivors and victims may not report, the differences between penal law and the University’s policies, and the awareness of affirmative consent.
This survey is administered every other year by all SUNY campuses. Accordingly, SUNY Fredonia sent out its survey last March.
Those who received the survey had between March 20, 2023, and April 9, 2023, to fill it out. Results included those who were over the age of 18.
Out of the 3,189 students who were sent the survey last semester, only 271 completed the survey, indicating that this data is representative of only 8.5% of students on campus.
Out of this 8.5%, less than half of students indicated that they knew how to report an incident of sexual assault/violence, and 0% reported their incident of sexual assault to an on-campus resource.
A mere 14.8% made a formal complaint to the college.
The report states, “This is an opportunity for Fredonia to expand their education and advocacy work to let students know that resources are available to them and that they have multiple reporting resources who can assist them.”
The Leader will be closely monitoring this to see if there are further means of educating students on campus about resources for those who are sexually assaulted, or for others who act as witnesses of sexual violence.
Although many students have received Title IX training as a part of new student orientation or as a result of being a campus club leader, these trainings target only specific groups of students.
The Leader will be waiting for the full student body to be offered events or programs to increase that knowledge of resources and how to report instances of sexual assault.
Of the 271 of students who responded, 46% reported unwanted sexual comments, sexual slurs or demeaning jokes.
A total of 8.4% had been forced into penetrative sex, and the same amount, respectively, were forced into oral sex.
What would these numbers have looked like had more students responded?
Out of the 797 employees working at SUNY Fredonia at the time the survey was administered, 234 responded to the survey. This represents only 29.4% of faculty.
It is important to discuss the reported figures of those who understand the concept of affirmative consent.
Affirmative consent refers to the explicit, informed consent that must be given before engaging in a sexual act with someone.
85.4% of students were aware of this policy, along with 86.1% of faculty.
Although the report claims these are “high percentages,” it is important to realize that this is about 40 students out of a very very small sample of respondents who do not understand that informed consent must be given before engaging in a sexual act.
Similarly, that faculty figure represents only about 29% of faculty, with at least around 33 of those faculty members not knowing what affirmative consent is.
All of the students who responded to this survey (100%) indicated that they understand that a person who is incapacitated cannot give consent.
However, faculty responses were not quite as high.
Only 96.8% of those 234 faculty responses were able to recognize that someone who is incapacitated is unable to provide consent.
That is about eight faculty members who do not realize that someone who is unconscious cannot provide consent.
These figures appear scary to many students, who attend classes almost entirely in-person now that the COVID-19 pandemic has mostly subsided.
Although student numbers for understanding affirmative consent are similar, for many, faculty act as trusted adults.
The lack of faculty knowledge of consent may be a factor of why 84.1% of staff members have reported that students have not disclosed to them whether or not they were a victim of sexual violence.
The Leader will be waiting to hear what exactly will be done to address these issues and lack of understanding of consent.
The data shows that a lot of work needs to be done to ensure SUNY Fredonia remains a safe place for students and other faculty members.