This story was updated on May 3, 2012 at 8:30 p.m.
Boston University President Robert Brown announced the creation of a sexual assault response center Monday in an email sent to the BU community.
“I am writing to announce that we are establishing a center that will be specifically dedicated to preventing sexual assault through training and outreach, and to providing support to victims of sexual assault as well as other forms of abuse, such as hazing,” the letter said.
The center is expected to open on campus by the start of the 2012-13 school year, according to the email. Student Health Services will direct the center, though the facility will be housed in a separate location.
“We are already working on initial plans for staffing the center and determining an appropriate campus location,“ Brown said in the letter.
Brown cited the incidents of alleged sexual assault and alleged hazing that have occurred at BU over the past four months. These include the arrests of two hockey players, Corey Trivino and Max Nicastro, and separate alleged hazing incidents involving the sorority Sigma Delta Tau and the unaffiliated and now-closed fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi.
“[We are committed to ensuring] that we have the appropriate means in place both to reduce the likelihood of such events and to provide strong support to those affected when, despite our best efforts, such events occur,” Brown said in the email.
There have been a number of demands from the BU community that such a center be created on campus. The Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism circulated an online petition in March to establish a crisis center to prevent sexual assault, provide support for victims and raise awareness about sex-related issues.
The CGSA released a statement about the crisis center on May 3 outlining their proposal and applauding BU for committing to creating a crisis center.
“The CGSA is proud to be part of an institution that takes sexual assault and interpersonal violence seriously,” the statement said. “In creating this center, Boston University is proving its commitment to student safety and wellbeing and is a true leader among higher education institutions.”
More than 1,000 people signed the CGSA’s petition, which was sent to BU administration.
Student Union unanimously voted to support a proposal from the CGSA for a crisis center on March 6, as reported by The Daily Free Press.
“Hearing that [the crisis center is] definitely going to happen is great and I feel like the Student Union had at least a little bit of an influence on that happening,” said Alex Staikos, Union vice president.
The CGSA was unavailable for comment at press time.
Beyond sexual assault, Brown’s letter also said new measures will be taken next year to increase awareness about alcohol abuse and sexual assault based on the “bystander education” used during orientation last summer.
“The aim of this bystander education is to increase awareness of excessive alcohol use and sexual assault and to encourage individuals to intervene in thoughtful, effective ways to prevent and discourage inappropriate behavior,” according to the letter.
All officers of student organizations will be required to undergo bystander education in order to receive Student Allocation Board funding, according to the letter.
“I believe that the vitality of our community depends on individual actions and the responsibility we take for ourselves and for others,” Brown said in the email. “Boston University can learn from what we have experienced this spring and become a better community for living and learning.”
Taylor Boss, a College of Fine Arts sophomore, said the administration should have implemented a crisis center a long time ago, though she is unsure as to how many people will actually use it.
“I doubt people who are going through hazing are going to come in because when you go to join a fraternity or sorority you kind of know that’s going to happen,” Boss said.
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Liza Townsend said people might feel embarrassed about heading to a crisis center because people may pass judgment. “It would have been nice to have something to have been there the whole time, to support students, but maybe it didn’t seem so pertinent,” Townsend said. “I feel like they’re making steps toward doing something here, and now because they feel like they have to make up for this happening in the first place.”
CAS sophomore Mike McCormick said what has happened on campus this semester has damaged the level of morality at BU.
“I think this might be a step in the right direction, getting back to where people should be at in their minds and in their actions,” McCormick said. “I hope that people will come forward. I hope that it’s an active center on campus [for people] who are going through problems with sexual abuse.”
