The University of Iowa Anti-Violence Plan for Sexual Misconduct, Dating Violence, and Stalking

The University of Iowa has a committed team working collaboratively to prevent sexual misconduct, dating violence, and stalking; provide support to survivors; and hold offenders accountable. 

The UI strives to maintain a safe and respectful environment, which requires campus-wide support and continuous effort. Through collaborative efforts, including the Six Point Plan to Combat Sexual Assault, we have made measurable progress, but there is more work to be done.

The UI Anti-Violence Coalition (AVC), made up of campus stakeholders and community partners, worked together to identify additional action items focusing on prevention and education, intervention, and policy. This new two-year plan is influenced by results from the Speak Out Iowa campus climate survey, evidence-informed efforts and practices, and input from members of the AVC and campus constituents.

It’s on all of us to continue this important work.

Prevention and education 

Goal: To expand existing programs, create new education opportunities for the campus community, and use comprehensive evaluation to maximize the effectiveness of all programming. This work is guided by the UI Comprehensive Education Model.

  • Implement a refresher online course on sexual misconduct as a follow-up to the required Success at Iowa course
  • Develop a new module for orientation programs for incoming graduate and professional students to increase awareness of resources, reporting options, and prevention education
  • Expand faculty/staff sexual harassment prevention education
  • Explore models for partnering with feeder high schools
  • Share prevention resources with community partners to help prevent incidents of sexual misconduct off campus
  • Work with Fraternity and Sorority Life staff and student leaders to create protective environments
  • Continue to target the development and implementation of education for populations at high risk for victimization
  • Increase parent messaging about policies, procedures, resources, and how to respond to a disclosure
  • Implement programming that promotes healthy masculinity
  • Raise awareness about dating violence and stalking, including where to get help and how to report
  • Implement Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) sexual assault resistance education program
  • Ensure programs reinforce that sexual assault by an acquaintance is most common while also raising awareness of measures to reduce the risk of victimization by a stranger
  • Ensure alcohol harm reduction efforts include recommendations for parents, environmental prevention strategies, and late night entertainment alternatives
  • Explore ways to centralize the evaluation of student prevention education
  • Build a team of peer educators to expand capacity for prevention education
  • Maximize attendance of bystander intervention training during On Iowa! by offering it earlier in the orientation schedule
  • Partner with UISG to promote It’s On Us messaging campaign to expand its impact
  • Create a web resource connecting groups and individuals looking for education with the appropriate opportunities
  • Implement a strategy for continuous improvement by establishing and assessing learning benchmarks for all students in their first, second, third, and fourth years
  • Implement biannual climate survey of students regarding their experiences with sexual misconduct, dating violence, and stalking

Intervention

Goal: To integrate inclusive, trauma-informed, person-centered interventions for all those impacted by sexual misconduct, dating violence, and stalking, in a fair and equitable manner.

  • Enhance education about resources to ensure students know where to get help and where to make a report
  • Increased training on responding to disclosures to promote help-seeking behavior
  • Collaborate with directors of graduate programs and professional school deans to cultivate a respectful and safe environment within their department or college
  • Advance investigative expertise for campus law enforcement and judicial administrators
  • Strengthen resources for survivors
  • Expand resources for people accused of sexual misconduct
  • Expand resources for people found responsible for a policy violation to prevent reoccurrence and ensure fairness
  • Engage with community partners to establish a memorandum of understanding with local law enforcement agencies that complements the county guidelines for investigating sex crimes

Policy

Goal: To review and revise policies on a consistent basis to ensure they are clear, fair, and effective at holding offenders accountable and keeping the campus community safe.

  • Streamline and align existing civil rights policies and procedures and explore the feasibility of merging them into one policy
  • Use a variety of mechanisms to collect campus feedback to inform policy review and revision
  • Engage with local, state, and national policy leaders and professional associations to confirm legal requirements are met, best practices are implemented, and the university contributes to societal change
  • Develop explicit campus policy education programs to increase knowledge about how policies are applied

Read the full UI Anti-violence Plan