Mandating Responsibility Tackle Hot Ras, Other Employees Required to Report Sexual Assault Topics In
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Serving UNC students and the University community since 1893 Volume 121, Issue 80 dailytarheel.com Thursday, September 26, 2013 SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUS Trustees Mandating responsibility tackle hot RAs, other employees required to report sexual assault topics in By Jordan Bailey STEP 3 Senior Writer Dean of students reports to meeting Andrea Pino said when she was a resi- Ew Quimbaya-Winship’s dent advisor in Kenan Community last year, oce. dozens of sexual assault survivors would STEP 2 STEP 4 Issues discussed ranged approach her every week with their stories. from Greek GPAs to Pino said she felt conflicted about report- Community director reports Report is reviewed by a Title ing some assaults because many students to the Dean of Students IX assessment team. Student Congress funding. were just looking for support. oce. “This student’s not coming to me as a resi- By Andy Willard dent, or a person who wants me as an RA, and Amanda Albright they’re coming to me as a friend,” she said. FIRST “And it raises the question, when (does) my Senior Writers role end?” STAGE STEP 5 At the UNC Board of Trustees’ RAs have always been considered manda- STEP 1 The process starts when a first meeting of the academic year, tory reporters for instances of sexual assault, members did not shy away from but this year, under the new leadership of RA noties community student reports a sexual Quimbaya-Winship reaches assault to an RA. out to the student. some of the biggest topics on stu- the Deputy Title IX Officer Ew Quimbaya- director of assault report. dents’ minds. Winship, UNC is trying to make it clearer Sexual assault, coal divestment, the that this responsibility extends beyond their GPA requirement for Greek organiza- residence hall. tions and cuts to the UNC College The mandatory reporting policy, which is a Republicans budget were all under federal requirement for all universities under discussion at the Wednesday meeting. Title IX, requires certain University employ- Members also discussed altering ees to report any instance of sexual assault Reporting the policy that required fraterni- that they learn of. ties and sororities to meet the UNC considers RAs responsible employ- Student University-wide GPA average this ees, meaning if any student — whether that semester. student is the RA’s resident or not — shares The policy, which has resulted in an assault story with them, they must report four Interfraternity Council chapters the incident to their community director. Student can choose Sanctioning for being punished with social suspen- “An RA is always an RA because of the not to take action. Or responding student may sion this year, was created in a 2011 nature of that job,” said Christi Hurt, UNC’s they can proceed and range from educational Board of Trustees decision. interim Title IX coordinator. “I don’t think Quimbaya- Winship may programming Vice Chancellor for Student help to enact protective we’re telling RAs at this point that they can to expulsion. Affairs Winston Crisp said the take off the RA hat. They are still RAs, and measures. SECOND administration could change the they have a safety responsibility on this cam- GPA requirement to a standard pus.” number each semester. He said his Hurt said an RA is responsible for report- STAGE office received many complaints ing an instance of sexual assault even if the If the student chooses to calling it unfair because the average victim does not want them to, or if they learn continue, the second stage GPA fluctuates from year to year. If responding student is of an incident while not actively performing Initial report goes to of the process begins. “The average number is a moving RA duties. This includes situations such as an Jayne Grandes, the found in violation, number and in fact, it has been mov- RA’s friend confiding in them at a party. investigator in the Equal reporting student may ing upward,” Crisp said. “The RA, or somebody in a similar posi- Opportunity Oce. choose formal or informal He said the proposal could be tion, has a responsibility to connect a report- resolution process. presented to the Board of Trustees Jayne Grandes does a ing student to a place where they can be by the end of the year and would not more thorough made aware of all of their options for getting be a major change in policy. investigation and talks help, for proceeding to hold their offenders Some members of the board to both reporting accountable or for getting support,” Hurt said. also voiced concerns about Student Pino said this is problematic for an RA’s student and responding Congress’s recent decision to cut the work-life balance. student. UNC College Republicans’ funding “As RAs, we’re all students first and we request. COMPILED BY JORDAN BAILEY DTH/RACHEL HOLT, KAITLYN KELLY, CECE PASCUAL, BRUNA SILVA, HEATHER CAUDILL have relationships that existed prior to our Brittany Best, chairwoman of the role,” she said. “If someone tells me some- Student Congress finance commit- thing in confidence, and they’re not in imme- Quimbaya-Winship, who will reach out to to feel totally comfortable talking to us,” tee, spoke with trustees about their diate danger, and they’re not my resident, do the victim. The student can then choose to Sivakumar said “I think (the rule) makes it a concerns. I really have jurisdiction over them? meet with him and move forward with the little bit harder for residents to talk to us.” Board member Dwight Stone said “They come to me because I’m a (sexual case, or ignore him altogether. Sarah Jane Bassett, an RA in Granville he was concerned that the conser- assault) survivor, not because I’m an RA. It Savita Sivakumar, an RA in Granville East, said she thinks the policy is beneficial. vative group’s request was cut by doesn’t really make sense at all why RAs have Towers West, said she hasn’t been confronted “I think if a resident came to me with that the exact amount that would have such a huge jurisdiction, when really they’re with any reports of sexual assault yet this kind of information, they’d be coming to me been required to bring a speaker to not qualified to help students who aren’t in year. But she said she feels the rule puts RAs looking for help,” Bassett said. campus whose credentials had been their residence halls.” in a difficult spot. “So I think (the mandatory reporting rule) questioned by members of Student When an RA reports to their commu- “I think it does put RAs in kind of a hard Congress. nity director, the report ultimately reaches position because we want our residents SEE REPORTING, PAGE 7 SEE TRUSTEES, PAGE 8 VOLLEYBALL: NORTH CAROLINA 3 N.C. StatE 0 Fundraiser marks Volleyball continues winning Hedgepeth’s birthday streak in three sets against NCSU Proceeds from sales at six attEND THE FUNDRAISER The Tar Heels fought Red Robins will go to a Time: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. today through a tight third set Location: Red Robin Gourmet scholarship in her name. Burgers, 5324 Durham-Chapel Hill to remain undefeated. Blvd., Durham By Jenny Surane By Madison Way Info: on.fb.me/1bds0Zw City Editor Staff Writer If things were different, Euna Hedgepeth as the great person she The third set belongs to the Tar Chavis probably would have spent was. Heels. today planning a birthday cel- “We don’t ever want anyone to It’s the North Carolina volley- ebration for her best friend Faith forget her,” Chavis said. “What hap- ball team’s motto, and so far, it’s Hedgepeth. pened to her didn’t deserve to be done the team’s record too. Instead, Chavis will spend today to her.” UNC has yet to lose a third set preparing for a fundraiser held for a Chavis said she and Hedgepeth this season, and that tradition scholarship named in Hedgepeth’s used to spend their birthdays going continued as the Tar Heels swept honor. out to dinner before going home and N.C. State 3-0 in their conference- Hedgepeth was a UNC junior when baking cupcakes together. opener Wednesday. she was found dead in her off-campus She said the scholarship in Winning the match in the third DTH/SPENCER HERLONG apartment on Sept. 7, 2012. Hedgepeth’s name was designed to set wasn’t as easy as the Tar Heels Graduate student outside hitter Jovana Bjelica had eight kills, six digs and She would have turned 21 today. help Native American women attend expected, though. The Wolfpack a service ace in UNC’s 3-0 defeat of N.C. State Wednesday. UNC is 12-0. And to mark her birthday, all college. took early leads in all three sets. of the six Red Robin Gourmet Two Native American women, And when that happened, grad- UNC tacked on the additional “We just know that when you Burgers restaurant locations near Cheyenna Francis and Taylor uate student outside hitter Jovana two points necessary to keep the play volleyball, there’s always a the Triangle will donate 15 per- Locklear, were each awarded a Bjelica said she thought the team team’s third-set win-streak alive tendency for teams to let up in cent of their proceeds to the Faith $500 scholarship last week from needed to pick it up. and remain undefeated. the third set if you win the first Hedgepeth Memorial Fund as part Hedgepeth’s memorial fund. The two “I think we didn’t play our volley- “I like it when the score is tied two,” Sagula said.