Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Enough is Enough” legislation is a transformative step in the fight against sexual assault on college campuses, though proper promotion is necessary to ensure its effectiveness at Syracuse University.

The law was signed this summer in efforts to improve campus sexual assault policies with uniform standards that apply to all public and private universities in New York State. These measures include a statewide definition of affirmative consent, comprehensive training for administrators, staff and students and the distribution of a Sexual Violence Victim/Survivor Bill of Rights to the student body, which informs victims of their legal rights and how they may access appropriate resources.

One of the most effective aspects of the legislation is providing universities with a clear, detailed definition of affirmative consent, defining it as “a clear, unambiguous and voluntary agreement between the participants to engage in specific sexual activity.” This straightforward definition helps stop the culture of blaming sexual assault victims for not saying “no,” and should be publicized within the campus community.

In an email to The Daily Orange, senior vice president for public affairs Kevin Quinn said that Chancellor Kent Syverud was the first private college chancellor/president in New York State to endorse Governor Cuomo’s “Enough is Enough” legislation.

Syverud’s active support of the initiative expresses a genuine and clear effort on behalf of the university to improve policies regarding sexual assault on the SU campus, something the administration has been criticized for in previous semesters.

This sentiment is reflected in the university’s decision to list the specific policy broken by a student who is expelled for sexual assault on his or her transcript, which is not required by “Enough is Enough.”

The legislation also calls for amnesty for drugs and alcohol to be adopted into campus sexual assault legislation. Students should never feel threatened when coming forward as a victim of sexual assault, and it is the responsibility of SU to consistently maintain a comfortable atmosphere for students, regardless of the circumstances. This creates a more welcoming environment for those who wish to file a report.

Although the legislation reinforced and added to sexual many sexual assault resources and relationship violence policies already in practice on the Syracuse University campus, the university must ensure that the information is well publicized going into the new academic year and that continual efforts are in place to support students at all times. Without student awareness, these changes won’t have an effect on campus.

Published on August 31, 2015 at 12:49 am

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