The Weekly Snapshot

Your source for the latest tips, information, and current campus safety resources from the National Center.

Download the complete sample MOU by clicking above

White House Task Force Releases Sample MOU

One year ago, President Obama established the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault to help institutions comply with federal legal obligations when preventing and responding to rape and sexual assault on college and university campuses. Subsequently, the Not Alone: Together Against Sexual Assault website was created and currently provides several resources on the topic.

Last week, the Task Force released a sample memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide law enforcement and institutions of higher education with language they can use when developing a formal relationship to improve communication and coordination between campuses and local law enforcement in their efforts to address the serious issue of sexual violence in higher education.The Task Force's first report, Not Alone (PDF), states an MOU can "improve security on and around campus, make investigations and prosecutions more efficient, and increase officers' understanding of the unique needs of sexual assault victims." The Task Force emphasizes that the sample MOU does not constitute legal advice and that "there is no one-size-fits-all approach in this undertaking." State and local laws vary, and agencies and IHEs may decide to leave out or include certain provisions. The sample MOU also provides several resources for guidance on federal laws and policies.

Request the complete study by clicking above

United Educators Releases Sexual Assault Claims Study

United Educators (UE), a liability insurance and risk management company that serves nearly 1,300 members representing thousands of schools, colleges, and universities throughout the United States, recently released a new study through its education-specific risk management resources arm EduRisk^TM. The study, Confronting Campus Sexual Assault:An Examination of Higher Education Claims, is an analysis of claims submitted to UE between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013. All claims included a student victim and allegations of sexual assault at an institution of higher education.

Some key findings from the study include the following:

Prior to the April 2011 Dear Colleague Letter and for two years after, UE saw a steady decline in the total number of reported sexual assault claims. However, by the end of 2013, the total number of claims more than doubled. (See image below)
Nearly all (99 percent) of the perpetrators were men.
Ten percent of all sexual assault claims involved a single victim and two or more perpetrators. More than half of multiple perpetrator sexual assaults involved athletes (40 percent) or fraternity members (13 percent).
Nearly three-fourths (73 percent) of sexual assault victims were freshmen or sophomores.
Nearly 40 percent of victims delayed reporting the sexual assault to their college or university. On average, victims delayed 11 months.
More than three-fourths (78 percent) of sexual assaults involved the perpetrator, victim, or both consuming alcohol.

The study also includes findings on methods of sexual assault, institutions' response to sexual assault complaints, and litigation by both victims and the accused. UE created a strong infographic highlighting many of their key findings which you can download in PDF at the bottom of this page. You may also request the full claims study via the UE website and clicking on the top left image "Request Claims Study."

Professional Development Opportunities

Title: Virtual Workshop: Timely Warnings and Sexual Assault: Building an Effective and Consistent Approach

Host: Clery Center for Security on Campus

Dates: March 10, 2015, 2- 3 PM EST

Location: Online Webinar

Fee: Registration Fee or Free for Clery Center Collaborative Members

Information and Trainings

Title: American Council on Education's (ACE) 97th Annual Meeting

Host: American Council on Education

Dates: March 14-17, 2015

Location: Washington, DC

Fee: Registration Fee
Information and Registration

Title: Cybercop 225 - Apple� iDevice Forensics

Host: Madison Police Department Training Center

Dates: March 25-26, 2015

Location: Madison, WI

Fee: Free
Information and Registration

This project was supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K011 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.