A subcommittee of the University’s Sexual Assault Working Group recently drafted a proposal to change the student code of conduct’s language pertaining to sexual assault in order to clarify the definition of sexual assault.
“We hope to have an updated version of the code of conduct that is more consistent with how students understand the issue and identify their situation,” Rachel Pugh, Georgetown’s director of media relations and a member of SAWG, wrote in an email.
The most noticeable change is the omission of the current code’s definition of consent. Danielle Lovallo (SFS ‘11), a member of SAWG’s language subcommittee, said this change will preclude the possibility of a countercharge, where someone accused of sexual assault claims that the accuser also violated the code of conduct by failing to seek consent.
“Even if it’s a very rare possibility, the fact that that could happen based on the policy at hand had a very chilling effect on people,” she said. “It could serve as a deterrent to people coming forward.”
However, Lovallo expressed some reservations about the omission.
“I personally do not think that taking it out will streamline [the policy],” she said. “Consent is a formal, almost legal term.”
She later stressed that a university setting calls for a discreet definition of consent.
“Relationships going on at Georgetown, it’s difficult for people to understand what is consent, especially in context of parties and alcohol,” she said. “Where it gets dangerous with nonconsensual sex, [is] when people thought it was just a miscommunication.”
This year, the group is also comparing Georgetown’s policies to those at comparably sized schools.
“SAWG has also been reviewing programming and education done by other schools in the area of sexual assault and relationship violence in order to find best practices and identify areas where Georgetown can grow,” Pugh wrote.
Lovallo said SAWG is motivated by several broad questions.
“How do we respond to something we know is happening on campus?” she said. “How can we foster a more supportive community for victims [by providing] resources and information? Also how can we punish offenders?”
According to Pugh, the group’s founding came as a direct response to student concern about the incidence of sexual violence on campus.
Students and faculty formed SAWG in 1995 to lobby for the University to hire a sexual assault expert who would serve as a full-time resource for students. In 1996, the University hired a part-time sexual assault services coordinator, which has subsequently grown into a full-time position.
“It’s rare for a university to have a full-time counselor just for sexual assault and relationship violence,” Lovallo said.
Jen Schweer, the University’s current counselor, oversees the various SAWG subcommittees.
Comprised of students, faculty, and administrators dedicated to discussing the issues of gender-based violence in the Georgetown community, SAWG typically deals with issues of relationship violence and sexual assault.
Year-to-year, SAWG attempts to address the issues students and service providers identify as the most pressing needs, but time constraints require the group to address only a few aspects of sexual assault and relationship violence each year.
Lovallo said she would like to see reform of the sexual assault adjudication process, to encourage students to come forward.
“I would like to see the University to generalize what the process will be like, so it adoesn’t seem like a kangaroo court.”
This news report is fairly incoherent.
(1) What is the current definition of sexual assault under the Student Code of Conduct?
(2) What is the revised definition the SAWG is proposing? As written, it sounds like the SAWG is proposing to remove a consent requirement from sexual assault?
(3) The reasoning behind the change seems incoherent, too. They’re removing the requirement of consent for sexual assault… just in case someone accused of sexual assault by the other party replies that their accuser didn’t seek consent, either? Huh?
(4) “She later stressed that a university setting calls for a discreet definition of consent.”
Do you mean ‘discrete’, as in a separate or distinct definition of consent, or ‘discreet’, as in a private, unobtrusive or secretive definition of consent?
(5) Lovallo said she would like to see reform of the sexual assault adjudication process, to encourage students to come forward. “I would like to see the University to generalize what the process will be like, so it doesn’t seem like a kangaroo court.”
What sort of reform? The goal of encouraging students to come forward and ensuring that the process is not a kangaroo court is somewhat opposite from one another. By ensuring a streamlined, private (discreet!) process where one won’t have to confront the accuser, procedure balanced in favor of the accuser, etc., it encourages people to step forward — but increases the danger of a ‘kangaroo’ court.
Overall, would’ve hoped for a much more coherent article.