In efforts to decrease sexual violence on college campuses, the U.S. Department of Education announced new steps that would require institutions of higher education to follow proposed rules related to campus safety and security. These requirements are aimed specifically at minimizing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
The proposed rule, published in Friday’s Federal Register, is attempting to make changes to the Jeanne Clery Act under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA), which President Obama signed in March 2013. The summary of the proposed regulations said they “would update, clarify, and improve the current regulations.”
“The Department has the responsibility to ensure that our higher education institutions are creating safe environments for students and are appropriately reporting crimes that occur on or near their campuses,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a press release. “These new rules strengthen schools’ capacity to provide safer college campuses for students and to keep everyone better informed about campus security policies and procedures.”
On Thursday, a rulemaking panel reached an agreement on a draft detailing the new campus safety provisions. The panel was made up of students who are sexual assault survivors, as well as representatives from colleges, law enforcement and advocacy organizations.
The proposed rules would require colleges to compile statistics on acts of sexual violence on top of the crime data they have already gathered, related to sexual assault or otherwise.
The Department of Education listed several other proposed changes of note, per its press release:
“- Adding gender identity and national origin as categories of bias under the Clery Act’s definition of hate crimes;
– Adopting the FBI’s revised, more inclusive definition of rape;
– Requiring institutions to ensure that their disciplinary proceedings in response to alleged incidents of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are prompt, fair, and impartial;
– Strengthening protections for victim confidentiality, while helping victims to access the support, services, and the disciplinary and legal options available to them; and
– Specifying requirements for programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including prevention and awareness programs and campaigns.”
The public has exactly a month from Saturday to comment on the proposed regulation. After those comments are considered, the final rules will be published on November 1.
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