SGA Meeting on October 21
The SGA voted unanimously in favor of a bill Wednesday that tasks the organization with forming an ad hoc committee to push for mandatory in-person sexual assault training.
The final vote was 22-0.
The bill, drafted by the Student Government Association’s Shared Governance Committee, will create an 11-person committee that will suggest policy changes to create mandatory sexual assault prevention training during either freshman orientation or in UNIV100: The Student in the University.
READ MORE: UMD RHA urges mandatory in-person sexual assault prevention training
Lindsay Strehle, co-director of shared governance, said the SGA wanted to make a push for in-person training after the University of Maryland implemented mandatory online sexual misconduct prevention training last fall.
“That kind of put hope back in us that maybe there was a shot,” she said. “In that online format, there’s no way to check if people are actively engaged, and it can kind of be repetitive and terrible.”
The committee will comprise one representative each from the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association and Resident Hall Association, three SGA representatives and five at-large student representatives. Members will work to draft legislation to present to the SGA that conveys the organization’s stance on mandatory sexual assault, according to the bill.
“Hopefully by the end of it, they can make some sort of policy that they can bring to SGA that we can discuss,” said Ariel Bourne, co-director of shared governance. “We want some sort of strengthening of training in terms of this issue.”
The RHA Senate voted Oct. 27 to urge the university to adopt mandatory in-person sexual assault training at both orientation and UNIV100.
Citing polling conducted by Steve Chen, RHA student groups and organizations liaison, Strehle said students would find in-person training far more useful.
“We see a lot of other student groups are interested in this, and we really think SGA should be taking interest in this also,” she said.
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J.T. Stanley, an undergraduate representative on the University Senate Executive Committee, testified in front of the legislature, arguing the committee should not be disbanded if mandatory in-person sexual assault training is implemented.
The senior sociology major said the committee should become permanent and tackle other issues beyond mandatory training, such as alternate matters involving sexual assault and rape.
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“It doesn’t end when we have mandatory sexual assault training,” Stanley said. “It makes sense to take this further and expand the purview.”
