February 2, 2016

Report Tracks Campus Sexual Violence Policy Issues Considered by Legislatures

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (formerly, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) have characterized sexual violence and related policy issues from higher education institutions as a “top-tier policy issue across the states.” These organizations have teamed up to produce the publication “State Legislative Developments on Campus Sexual Violence: Issues in the Context of Safety.”

This policy brief looks at 23 states that have considered or enacted legislation across the following areas, intended to protect students and support sexual assault survivors:
  1. Defining affirmative consent: building a common understanding of welcomed sexual behavior by defining consent in statute or directing institutions to do so
  2. Role of local law enforcement: defining, clarifying, or expanding the role of law enforcement in campus reporting and investigating reports of sexual assault
  3. Transcript notation: addressing the notation of a sexual assault on student perpetrators’ transcripts
  4. Role of legal counsel: addressing the role of legal counsel in the campus adjudication process
The brief examines legislative activity during the 2013-2015 sessions.
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