USAC to vote on resolution regarding sexual assault

Undergraduate student government officials will vote Tuesday on a resolution that calls for UCLA administrators to add additional provisions to the Student Conduct Code regarding sexual assault and harassment.

The proposed Undergraduate Students Association Council resolution demands that UCLA administrators improve existing sexual assault and harassment education programs, provide a clearer definition of sexual consent and require an additional hour of training for Campus Assault Resources and Education counselors about specific issues regarding sexual assault.

The UC Office of the President is currently considering revisions to its sexual harassment and violence policies, which must be updated by March. The UC is updating its sexual assault policy to keep the University in compliance with the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, said Pamela Thomason, UCLA’s Title IX officer.

Debra Geller, executive director of community standards in the Office of the Dean of Students said that the Office of the Dean of Students did not know of the UC-mandated changes when it released the Oct. 31 conduct code. She said that UCLA administrators will update the code again in March to stay in compliance with the official policy of the Office of the President.

USAC Student Wellness Commissioner Savannah Badalich said she began drafting a resolution earlier this quarter suggesting practical solutions to the “holes” she sees in how the Student Conduct Code addresses the treatment of sexual assault education and policies on campus.

Badalich shared a GoogleDoc on Facebook and various USAC member’s home pages that called for student feedback about the sexual assault and sexual harassment policy.

Thomason said that she sees realistic suggestions in the resolution, which UCLA administrations could feasibly implement.

One of the resolution’s demands is the publication of an annual report regarding the number of disciplinary actions, Thomason said.

“This is something we are not currently doing, but something that all the UCs are planning to do,” Thomason said.

Geller said the Office of the Dean of Students is not mandated to incorporate the student response in the University’s official policy.

Geller said she thinks the draft of the USAC resolution included some impractical demands, including one that calls for UCLA to impose its policies on other universities. UCLA administrators cannot do this because UCLA’s jurisdiction does not apply to other campuses, she said.

Other recommendations brought up in the resolution can only happen if the Office of the President changes its UC-wide policies, Geller said.

The UCLA administration will consider the resolution when drafting its official policy, but is not bound to implement the changes.

“We can be more restrictive in behaviors we allow or disallow for our students within the jurisdiction that the (UC) Office of the President gives us,” Geller said.

The ultimate goal for the resolution is to show students their rights under the various UC, state and federal statutes, Badalich said.

She added she thinks having a clear process for reporting sexual harassment and violence will help survivors of sexual assault to know their rights and understand how to navigate the system.

“Having (potential survivors) be educated will help (students),” Badalich said. “They will serve as their own advocates.”