UW trains to prevent sex assault

All system employees must complete program

By this fall, all employees at University of Wisconsin campuses — from custodians and residence hall staff members to professors and administrators — will have completed training on sexual violence and harassment as part of a new systemwide requirement.

The UW System joins a growing number of universities across the country that have trained staff members in addressing issues surrounding sexual assault and harassment.

Since students interact with a wide range of people on a daily basis, it’s important that the training includes all employees, said Tim Danielson, associate vice chancellor for human resources at UW-Milwaukee.

“It’s hard to say who a person might turn to when they need help,” he said.

Most people will encounter an instance of sexual harassment or violence, and training can help them prepare, said Ebony Tucker, advocacy director for the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

“People from every walk of life in a variety of professions ... will experience or will encounter a victim of sexual violence, a perpetrator of sexual violence or an instance of sexual assault where they feel compelled to do something,” she said.

The training at UW-Milwaukee teaches employees how to recognize harassment and discrimination and includes tips for creating a safe environment and reporting misconduct. Employees are required to retake the training every three years.

The UW system is paying $68,000 annually for the training, which was designed by a third party.

UW System President Ray Cross announced the required training late last year. The training was first recommended by a task force in 2014. The training also covers Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education.

The UW System has been scrutinized for the way it handles sexual assault reports. In early 2016, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education announced it was investigating both UW-Madison and UW-Whitewater for their handling of sexual assault complaints.

The system has approximately 39,000 employees.

Universities should take addressing sexual violence and sexual harassment seriously because of its effect on students’ experience in school, said Anne Hedgepeth, vice president of public policy and government relations for the American Association of University Women.

“That should be motivation enough to fight to end sexual violence,” she said.

UW-Milwaukee nursing professor Jennifer Doering took the 90-minute training earlier this year and said she thought the program was comprehensive. She said it helped her better understand her role as an educator when interacting with a person reporting sexual violence or harassment.

“That’s a time when an insensitive remark or the wrong remark can make a difference in someone’s life,” she said.

Kristian O’Connor, University Committee chair at UW-Milwaukee, said understanding sexual harassment and knowing about the misconduct reporting process is an important part of his role as an instructor and administrator.

“It’s needed,” he said. “And it’s a good thing for all of the faculty.”