SORC conducts biannual Sexual Offense Policy review

Every two years, Oberlin College's sexual offense policy is reviewed. That process is currently underway and is nearing its conclusion.

The sexual offense policy, found in Section X of the Rules and Regulations, is reviewed by the Sexual Offense Review Committee, a group made up of student, faculty and staff representatives and co-chaired by Professor of Politics Chris Howell, and the Sexual Offense Policy Administrator, Camille Mitchell.

In reviewing the policy, the SORC examines state and federal laws, recent sexual offense cases on campus and the concerns of members of the community. According to the Rules and Regulations, the committee will "recommend revisions to the General Faculty as necessary." Mitchell said that the revisions were submitted to President Dye last fall, and Dye has announced that the revisions will be presented to the General Faculty at their May 18 meeting.

"This is a living policy," said Mitchell. Because of the nature of the area it covers, the policy constantly needs to be reviewed to make sure it fits with changing legal and social standards. According to Mitchell, clarification of definitions in the policy was also a reason for reviewing it.

Some students outside the SORC are concerned with the difficulty they have faced in finding out the details of the proposed changes. Senior Betsy Ames, who worked on a research project on the policy last semester, believes that the community has a right to know about the revisions so that students and others can make suggestions before the policy goes to the General Faculty. "Once we know what changes have been made to the policy," said Ames, "then we can take action by educating and petitioning the faculty, who will make the final decision."

Ames and others also feel that there has been a lack of student input in the process. According to Ames, "the drafting and decision-making process almost entirely excluded student input." Junior Samuel Taylor, a student representative in the SORC, has similar concerns. He feels that much of the process is controlled by the administration and the college's attorneys.

Senior Debs Gardner, a member of the Sexual Assault Support Team and organizer of the recent Survivors, Allies and Activists conference, believes student involvement in formulating the policy is crucial, because students are directly affected by it. "Most incidents of sexual violence or non-consensual situations seem to be student-to-student or faculty-to-student. We are the ones who have a lot at stake in the formation of this policy."

One of the issues students are worried about is the definition of consent in the policy. Ames feels that the current policy, which does not explicitly define consent, "leaves too much room for misunderstanding." Gardner helped draw up a proposal, including a definition of consent which was submitted to the SORC. She feels that a consent-based policy, which places the responsibility on the initiator of the sexual encounter, accommodates more real-life situations than the alternative, a force-based policy, in which the potential victim must actively resist. Mitchell said that she had seen the proposal and the SORC was taking it under consideration.

One thing everyone involved agrees on is the need for more education and awareness about sexual issues. Mitchell sees a need for "ongoing awareness," encompassing more than just the "Sex at Seven" workshops during Orientation. She said that employees need to be educated as well.

Gardner also believes education should play a role in the policy, because it encourages communication among community members and helps them set their behavior according to the standards laid out in Rules and Regulations. She feels that education is not emphasized enough in the current policy and that Mitchell, as Sexual Offense Policy Administrator, should take a more active role in promoting education. However, Mitchell has expressed commitment to education and a hope that the Sexual Offense Policy will not become "a buried issue."