New York State Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will speak Tuesday, Oct. 11, about the state’s new initiative to combat sexual assault on college campuses.
The 1 p.m. talk in the Nott Memorial is free and open to the public.
Hochul has been visiting campuses across the state to discuss Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Enough is Enough” initiative.
Signed into law in July, the legislation requires all colleges to adopt a set of comprehensive procedures and guidelines, including a uniform definition of affirmative consent, a statewide amnesty policy, and expanded access to law enforcement to ensure the safety of all students attending colleges in New York.
Union has taken a series of steps aimed at preventing sexual assault. In 2014, the school joined with nearly 200 colleges and universities to participate in a national public service campaign, “It’s On Us.” The campaign, launched by President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., hopes to fundamentally shift the way sexual assault is viewed on campuses “by inspiring everyone to see it as their responsibility to do something, big or small, to prevent it.”
The College has also teamed up with state officials in raising awareness of – and doing its part to take a stand against and prevent – sexual assault and domestic violence.
The College also expanded its Bystander Intervention Program, which enlists and trains members of the campus community to intervene in situations where sexual harassment or sexual violence appears imminent.
Since it started in 2014, the program has trained hundreds of members of Union’s athletic teams, Greek organizations, resident advisers and others.
And last November, the College hired its first full time Title IX coordinator, Melissa Kelley. Under Title IX, colleges and universities have a legal obligation to provide an environment that is free from discrimination on the basis of sex in all education programs and activities. Sexual harassment, which includes sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited under Title IX.
To learn more about “Enough is Enough,” click here.