Buckeyes ACT

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Buckeyes ACT

Ohio State's comprehensive plan to combat sexual misconduct and relationship violence
Buckeyes ACT is The Ohio State University's comprehensive, community-wide approach to combat sexual misconduct through Action, Counseling and Support and Training. Buckeyes ACT to report sexual misconduct, support members and visitors of our community, intervene to prevent sexual misconduct and empower themselves and one another.

2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct

Ohio State was among 33 institutions that participated this year in the second multi-institutional Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct overseen by the Association of American Universities (AAU), of which Ohio State is a member. Ohio State participated in AAU's first national survey in 2015 and conducted its own campus climate surveys in 2016 and 2017.

The survey was available to all students and responses are anonymous. Results from the survey, along with data gathered over previous years, will be used to enhance current policies and services, and inform longer-term strategies and programs. Sexual misconduct is a national issue, and Ohio State remains dedicated to combating it in order to promote a safe and healthy campus climate for all our students and members of the university community.

More information is available in the press release.

Changes and enhancements to address sexual misconduct

The Office of Institutional Equity exists to help the Ohio State community prevent and respond to all forms of harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct. This centralized office houses the university's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity (EE(), Protection of Minors, and Title IX functions.

The office also provides coordinated support to help survivors access on- and off-campus resources, including confidential resources. Dedicated coordinators help arrange interim measures to ensure continued access to educational and employment opportunities, such as no contact directives, changes in class or work schedule, emergency housing, counseling, and academic support.

More information is available at https://equity.osu.edu/. For questions about the office or resources, call 614-247-5838 or email equity@osu.edu.

Buckeyes ACT combines new programs with existing initiatives focusing on:

  • Action – response to reports and being an active upstander
  • Counseling and Support – advocacy and support services
  • Training – awareness and prevention education

Action

  • Helping those impacted understand their rights and options
  • Taking a leadership role in identifying and acknowledging individual and societal factors that influence sexual misconduct
  • Advancing a culture of civility and respect
  • Empowering campus community members to stay aware and get involved in the effort
  • Creating environments that are free from sexual misconduct
  • Using data to recognize patterns and trends to prevent occurrences of sexual misconduct

Counseling and support

Offering a wide range of confidential and non-confidential campus and community resources outlined below:

Offering appropriate accommodations
Providing support for complainants, respondents and mandatory reporters

Training

New prevention education was launched in fall 2018 to enhance the safety and well-being of the Ohio State community. It is important for everyone to know how to identify, challenge and report sexual misconduct. University Senate, backed by University Staff Advisory Committee (USAC), Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and Inter-Professional Council (IPC), passed a resolution in March 2018 supporting the expanded student and employee education programs.

  • Multimodal education options for students, faculty and staff

An online course provides students, faculty and staff with required education in prevention and tools to challenge and report inappropriate and harmful behavior when witnessed.
Mandatory First Year Experience Program training on consent
Second-Year Transformational Experience Program
Customized training to meet individual or group needs

  • Defining curriculum for educating community about sexual misconduct
  • Ongoing awareness initiatives to promote a culture of shared respect and responsibility

Resources

No matter your connection to The Ohio State University, all Buckeyes can ACT to report sexual misconduct, support members and visitors of our community, intervene to prevent sexual misconduct and empower themselves and one another. Familiarize yourself with these resources.

Reporting

  • Helping those impacted understand their rights and options
  • Providing confidential and non-confidential campus and community resources:

Reporting to the University
Reporting to the Police

Support

  • Offering a wide range of comprehensive support and services
  • Advancing a culture of civility and respect

Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service
Student Life Student Legal Services
Student Life Student Health Services
Employee Assistance Program (Faculty and Staff)
Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO)
Wexner Medical Center's STAR Program
Mount Carmel Crime and Trauma Assistance Program

Prevention and Intervention

  • Identifying and acknowledging factors that influence sexual misconduct
  • Being an active upstander

Title IX Office
Sexual Misconduct Policy
Code of Student Conduct
Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.)

Tracking Our Progress

Since 2015, Ohio State has made significant progress implementing Buckeyes ACT. Specifically, the university has:

  • Hired an additional sexual violence prevention coordinator
  • Established a foundation for ongoing collection of data to guide action - student surveys in 2015, 2016 and 2017
  • Created a university-wide task force including students, staff and faculty - to identify best practices and explore innovative approaches to prevention and response
  • Participated as an active member of Ohio Department of Higher Education "Changing Campus Culture" initiative
  • Increased the number of advocates to support students
  • Expanded capacity of Student Life's Counseling and Consultation Services, including a counselor with dedicated expertise in responding to trauma and sexual assault incidents
  • Strengthened Sexual Misconduct policy to ensure issues are addressed comprehensively
  • Ongoing awareness initiatives to promote a culture of shared respect and responsibility - Buck-I-CARE
  • Online training for preventing and responding to sexual misconduct - student training, as well as faculty and staff training launched autumn 2015
  • Mandatory sexual misconduct training for students in first-year orientation, First Year Experience Program launched for incoming class of 2016
  • Mandatory consent training for first year students on the Columbus campus
  • Increased training efforts at the regional campuses
  • Moving forward with additional academic course work for students focused on issues related to sexual misconduct