ALBANY — State University of New York schools are set to implement uniform practices to combat sexual assaults on their campuses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.
The new policies are expected to be adopted by all 64 schools statewide, including the Fashion Institute of Technology, Maritime College, Downstate Medical Center, and SUNY College of Optometry in Manhattan.
The guidelines will protect students who come forward to report sexual assault and require a universal definition of consent between involved parties, among other protocols.
"There has been an epidemic of sexual violence in this country that is truly disturbing and it is plaguing our college campuses," Cuomo said in a statement.
"It is time for New York to take what is a difficult, uncomfortable topic and lead the way, and that is exactly what this resolution passed by the SUNY Board of Trustees today will do. This is not just a SUNY problem, but SUNY can lead and SUNY can reform on campus safety so we can better protect our students, and make our university communities a safer place for our children."
Thursday’s resolution includes:
►Uniform Definition of Consent: SUNY defines consent as “clear, knowing and voluntary. Consent is active, not passive. Silence, in and of itself, cannot be interpreted as consent. Consent can be given by words or actions, as long as those words or actions create mutually understandable clear permission regarding willingness to engage in (and the conditions of) sexual activity. Consent to any one form of sexual activity cannot automatically imply consent to any other forms of sexual activity. Previous relationships or prior consent cannot imply consent to future sexual acts."
►Victim Protection: A Sexual Assault Victims’ Bill of Rights will provide students with information on reporting incidents, along with resources for counseling and support.
►Training for Campus Staff: SUNY is set to coordinate statewide training for campus police, state law enforcement and college staff to address sexual violence.
Cuomo added that he is working to promote the same standards for all of New York’s private colleges.
The changes come on the heels of recent sexual assault investigations at Hunter College and Columbia University.
The U.S. Department of Education targeted the CUNY school in May after word that the institution may have violated federal law in handling complaints of sexual violence and harassment.
In addition to the system-wide changes Thursday, the governor announced the appointment of legal expert Linda Fairstein to SUNY’s Board of Trustees. Fairstein will serve as a special adviser for sexual assault response and prevention policy.
