el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015/eldonnews.org
NEWS
BY JOSE SERVIN / el Don
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015/eldonnews.org
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n amended federal law requires faculty and classified staff to be mandatory reporters of sexual violence, beginning this semester. The Violence
Against Women Act, or VAWA, states that educators are now responsible for reporting incidents of sexual violence that they know about, or should
have known about.
Santa Ana College has begun training professors under the leadership of the
Vice President of Student Affairs Sarah Lundquist, and her Title IX team. They
will also train classified staff and release a video for student awareness later in
the semester.
“We want to have staff and faculty understand what it means to be a mandatory reporter, and we want to protect the students,” said Dean of Student
Affairs Lilia Tanakeyowma.
The law states that if a student decides to speak about a situation involving
sexual abuse, professors have to warn them beforehand that their information
must be reported.
If the student agrees, or the professor is unable to warn them, then a report
that can be filled out online must be sent to John Didion, the Title IX
coordinator for the district. He then decides the next course of
action after speaking with the student and taking their opinion into account.
If the student does not agree but needs someone to talk to,
they can speak to any of the six full-time psychologists in the Health & Wellness Center,
who are not mandated reporters.
When the health center is closed, students
are advised to visit the security office at
SAC, where a private office is available with
confidential hotlines for those who wish not to
disclose their situation, Lundquist said.
Professors attended a one-week training session,
watched a video and were asked to discuss the law
in their departments.
“I understand why they are doing it, I get it. I just
don’t think that as a school we have been trained sufficiently enough,” said professor Lance Lockwood, the department
chair for communication studies.
Lockwood was referring to a potential gray area undefined
by the law. For example, when a student brings up a case of sexual
abuse that may or may not have been reported before.
VAWA is an expansion of the Jeanne Clery Act, which requires colleges and universities to publish an annual safety report every October 1
and keep a log of crimes. Despite its name, the bill applies to any gender.
Underscoring VAWA is the “yes means yes bill” signed by Governor Jerry
Brown last year. It defines mutual consent, which cannot be given if someone is
asleep or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
There have been five forcible sex offenses reported at Santa Ana College and Santiago
Canyon College since 2011. Speaking of VAWA, sophomore Deborah Leopo, said:“I think as
a nation it’s a step forward into bringing safer campuses for many women.”
STOP
I HAVE TO
REPORT THIS
ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN BY JAMIE LEEDS / el Don