Last week, I was psyched to see students flocking to East 13th Avenue and University Street petitioning to get a ballot measure to remove mandatory reporting of sexual assault. Over the past six months, students have clearly voiced opposition to the mandatory reporting policy and yet the administration has yet to listen to student voices.
Students have set up meetings as part of multiple student groups, spoken directly to the administration and have even gotten an ASUO Senate resolution, yet the administration refuses to listen.
The administration’s lack of concern is particularly worrisome because of the seriousness of this issue. Mandatory reporting policies severely impact students. It is a completely nonsurvivor-centered approach that disempowers survivors and removes their power and control, not to mention disrespecting both survivors and campus workers by assuming they do not have the ability to make these choices independently. These policies also undermine campus workers’ rights to properly provide for students and survivors and they undermine shared governance.
Because of the serious implications of these policies, it is an extremely important issue for students to voice their opinion on. I was happy to see students of all kinds rallying together around this issue and exercising their rights as students of this university.
The petition drive was also successful in raising awareness around mandatory reporting and informing students about an issue that some were completely unaware of. This is a university, an institution built around students, so it is awesome to see students exercising their voice and defending their rights.
Naduah Wheeler@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Naduah+Wheeler@@
University student