In 2014, 91% of college campuses disclosed zero reported incidents of rape. Would you want to be a part of that statistic? Although that rate seems comforting, and many people would, in truth, it is alarmingly frightening. Sexual assault on college campuses is a current major issue. Further action needs to be taken by The University of South Carolina to update their sexual assault policies and further educate each student on them. They currently claim through their current sexual assault policies that they have ongoing prevention and awareness campaigns but this has not been evident. University administrative involvement regarding it plays a critical role in the occurrence or absence of it. That is why there needs to be a greater and more prevalent effort by universities to educate their students on the issue to make them more aware. Along with awareness its important for proper prevention policies to be put into place. A clear definition of consent and school policies regarding sexual assault are unclear to and many times overlooked by students. This unfortunate combination of events leaves students in an unsettling and frightening position because they are unaware of their rights. 

Many people believe that universities have not been taking all possible measures to ensure the safety of their students when preventing and managing sexual assault. Its important that when students build up the courage to report a sexual attack to their school system that they feel protected. Unfortunately, too often this is not the case. Universities have felt that they are better off not being pressured to report cases and make changes but rather take their own precautions. Many people believe this approach has failed too often because schools have discouraged victims from reporting to avoid making it seem like there is a problem. At the same time schools that have been honest are the ones that are viewed as unsafe when this is not the case. Universities have been placing more importance on the notoriety of their school rather than the safety of their students. This idea is evident through the undercounting and undermining of many sexual assault cases by many colleges each year.  To continue the confusion, many people along with some administrators themselves feel that school systems are not equipped with the proper training or resources to handle this type of issue. Universities have been deliberately choosing to undermine the safety of their students by either passively not improving their sexual assault policies or concealing cases. This is why more students need to be aware of this issue and the sexual assault policies in place at their school. More education on the definition of consent and sexual assault is necessary by students in order to make them more aware of the issues surrounding it and their rights as an individual in a sexual interaction. Along with that knowledge students should be aware of resources that should be available to them by their school to ensure their safety and support. Further action needs to be taken by The University of South Carolina to update their sexual assault policies and further educate each student on them. They currently claim through their current sexual assault policies that they have ongoing prevention and awareness campaigns but this has not been evident. Prevention and awareness is a key factor towards the dismissal of sexual assault on college campuses. 

The phenomenon of sexual assault stemmed from the concealment of sexual assault incidents in the past. Universities encouraged students to not report cases with the hope of preserving the school's reputation. This created a stigma felt by many victims who felt ashamed by what happened and chose not to report. For a long time, incidents like these were kept secret from the public until technology advanced and social media brought light to the situation. This new awareness started an uproar and led to the development of the sexual assault issue on college campuses. 

Public attention on the issue has given victims a sense of support and affiliation with other victims who have spoken up. As the issue has spread through social media more incidents where schools have mishandled sexual assault cases have been brought forward. Emma Sulkowicz, along with other fellow students who were victims of sexual assault, claims that Columbia University "is too lenient with alleged perpetrators and discourages victims from reporting assault" (TIME, 0:52). This is detrimental to the safety of all students at the university because by letting the assailant run free more students are at risk of assault. "The average number of people a perpetrator will sexually assault is six" (TIME, 1:20). These statistics are frightening and need to change. That's why government state legislative involvement is necessary. 

The issue of consent started nationally on September 24, 2014 when Governor Brown of California signed the first statewide affirmative consent law: SB967. The bill requires "all universities that receive financial aid to use a standard of "affirmative consent" in disciplinary hearings about sexual assault" (Glickman, 437). Glickman defines "affirmative consent" as "affirmative, conscience, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity" (Glickman, 437). This bill set a new standard for all schools involved and started a movement nationally for other schools to adopt a policy of affirmative consent. President Barack Obama pointed out that steps that the government has already taken in his hopes to put an end to campus sexual assault. He states that he sent guidance to universities, created a task force combating sexual assault, stepped up enforcement efforts, and is reviewing existing laws (Obama Barack, 450). This increased state and federal involvement stresses the severity of this issue and has dramatically increased global awareness to the flaws of the system. 

As a result of this new attention colleges have been pressured to change their policies and adopt the ideals of affirmative consent. The University of South Carolina sexual assault policies were first documented on July 1, 1993. They were then recently revised on October 6, 2014 to accommodate the currently evolving issue of consent and sexual assault (University of South Carolina, 1). This current policy change by the university stresses the national effect that the California Senate Bill 967 has had being that they both took place in 2014. This connection brings to light the local effect that the issue of sexual assault and breakthrough of affirmative consent has had on the university. This new energy will hopefully lead to more beneficial changes throughout the college community. 

The movement for colleges to adopt the policy of affirmative consent has spread throughout the nation. Now that this momentum has reached the University of South Carolina it has become clear that the university has taken significant steps in creating a sound sexual assault policy but can work further towards improving it. The university provides their own vague definition of consent in their sexual assault policies (University of South Carolina, 2). The ambiguity of these current sexual assault policies creates a precarious environment on college campuses. The universities sexual assault policies, prevention strategies, and definition of consent could be strengthened to better protect students.  A more detailed and to the point definition of affirmative consent like the one previously defined by Glickman could clear up the ambiguity associated with these issues and provide the university with a useful resource when handling sexual assault cases. Along with aiding the school it will also be a clear reference for students. Many students are confused on what exactly constitutes sexual assault and what true consent really is. Its important for schools to make these aspects clear so that students are educated and will then realize that their acts are ones of a perpetrator.

 Some people believe that universities are well equipped to deal with these issues of sexual assault and violence on their own while others stress the importance of either federal or judicial involvement. Napolitano demonstrates that although the federal government lays out required policies to keep students safe, like the Clery Act and Title IX, these detailed and lengthy policies are in actuality overwhelming schools and preventing them from properly implementing the ideals of these policies. People especially administrators personally involved in the process, like author Napolitano, believe that universities are "well positioned to undertake the necessary education and research, and prevention and response actions" to lead in combating sexual assault (Napolitano, 388). This idea addresses the important role universities play in combating sexual assault but ignores the fact that sole university involvement has not been beneficial in the past.

In actuality universities face many limitations in dealing with sexual assault. "While campus administrators are doing their best, they are neither qualified nor equipped to respond properly to sexual assault allegations" (Gulite, 443). This idea is important because it points out that although university administrators may want to lead in the fight against sexual assault, they lack proper training and are not fit to. It has become clear that campus judiciaries have recently been "extending their reach far beyond the boarders of campus and into areas once reserved for criminal courts" (Lukianoff, 116). This occurrence has proven dangerous. Too often college judicial systems bypass the aspects of due-process that would be present in criminal courts. This lack of structure and fair treatment can lead to "a bizarre, unfair, and frightening experience for students who get caught up in university judiciary" (Lukianoff, 117). This realization is important because it shows how important it is for criminal courts and federal government to be involved in campus hearings and reporting's of this severity.

There are also many opposing opinions when it comes to the movement from a "No Means No" policy at universities to one of affirmative consent. People find the ideals of affirmative consent to be unrealistic and too difficult to attain. People argue that following affirmative consent takes the mystery and sexual atmosphere out of an interaction with another. "There are claims that it would require a written contract or other documentation" (Glickman, 437). In truth this is a naive way to think since affirmative consent can unfold multiple ways in a sexual interaction. There are various forms of non-verbal affirmative consent that can be used to inform the partner of one's intentions. Glickman addresses an opinion that "the only real test of affirmative consent is when the other person takes initiative of her or his accord-without prompting or pressure" (Glickman, 438). Ways to withdraw consent non-verbally were also addressed in the case that an individual changes their mind. An example given was "shifting one's body to reduce or remove stimulation" (Glickman, 439). These various forms of non-verbal consent provide an unambiguous form of approval without taking away the intimate aspects of the situation. 

The University of South Carolina has taken important strides in the fight against sexual assault on college campuses, but further action needs to be taken to implement more prominent and stronger sexual assault policies. My proposed areas of improvement include the implementation of training courses, the integration of the judicial system, and mandatory educational courses. I believe that these additions and changes will create a more reliable and safe school community as a whole.

College administrators are well accredited individuals which leads many to assume they would be capable of managing reported crimes on campuses. Many people fail to recognize that there are several aspects to investigating and either prosecuting or disciplining an alleged offender. It has become evident that school officials "often receive little training in conducting sexual assault investigations, including understanding culturally ingrained misapprehensions of sexual violence, such as acquaintance vs stranger rape, what constitutes consent, and how trauma can affect the survivor's demeanor and memory" (Reingold, 1). If proper training of school officials in these areas were mandatory, it would be guaranteed that they would be able to effectively assess the situation and implement proper and fair punishment. "Currently, most schools do not have the investigatory resources they need to obtain the necessary evidence in school disciplinary hearings" (Gulite, 444). These limitations by university investigators strip victims of any justice they could receive and allows assailants to get away guilt free. It has come time for student conduct panels, hearing officers, and all personnel involved to receive the necessary training to decide cases of this serious nature (Napolitano, 400). Its imperative that new training systems are set up to properly equip university officials so their able to make fair and conclusive judgments.

Law enforcement and universities have distinct goals when handling a sexual assault report. While law enforcement aims to adjudicate justice, universities aim to foster a safe learning environment for their students. Along with these different goals both institutions have different degrees of punishment that they are permitted to enforce. Under the criminal justice system, a person convicted of rape or sexual assault could face severe punishment whether it be imprisonment or being registered as a sex offender. When it comes to university hearings "expulsion is the harshest disciplinary action that can be taken by a university, and this action is not often taken-only 10% to 25% of students found responsible for sexual assault are permanently expelled" (Reingold, 1). This demonstrates that even though both institutions are dealing with a crime of equal severity, the assailant can receive two very distinct punishments. Having law enforcement involved in conducting investigations ensures that "effective investigations will be conducted and that there will be appropriate punishments that have a strong deterrent effect, all to the ultimate benefit of the survivors and the safety of the university community as a whole" (Napolitano, 401). If schools are still reluctant to allow full influence of criminal courts in their hearings, they should at least consider allowing legal defense involvement. "Given the complexity of sexual assault cases, it is necessary that all schools allow lawyers to argue cases in front of the college tribunal rather than force students to make arguments for themselves" (Gulite, 444). It is important that universities either find a way to implement the ideals of the criminal justice system or learn to work beside them throughout this process. If these changes are not made the offenders will continue to receive moderate punishments allowing them to remain on campus and become repeat offenders. It has come time for universities to open a line of communication and collaboration with criminal courts to ensure the safety of their students. 

Finally, the university should work towards implementing mandatory educational and prevention courses for all students. This will ensure that awareness is spread throughout campus and that no student is deprived of it. "Colleges receiving federal funding are required to implement programs to prevent sexual assaults on campus, including awareness campaigns" 

(Reingold, 1). As a current student at the University of South Carolina I can say that I have not been made aware of any awareness campaigns throughout the year if there were. This divide between administrators and students should be bridged in order to effectively educate students on sexual assault. "With the close connection they have with students, educators have a unique opportunity to influence students to make better sexual decisions" (LaFrance). This relationship between administrators and their students should be fostered with the hopes of making students feel safe and guided in a social aspect as well at the university. Courses like "Yes Means Yes" offered at Colgate University should be implemented so students can "learn positive sexual decision making skills, how to find campus resource support, when necessary, and ways to engage in safer sexual behaviors" (LaFrance). Courses like this one will help spread awareness across campus and give students a trusted outreach. 

Unfortunately, the issue of sexual assault has been mishandled by universities for decades. It has come time for change and this realization has been felt on a national scale. Too often than not universities have not taken all possible measures to protect their students whether it be through false reporting, the silencing victims, or not having proper policies in place. A national awareness of this has erupted a change in the ideals of many universities. It is important that the university of South Carolina wholeheartedly joins in the fight against sexual assault by further improving their sexual assault policies and prevention efforts and by working alongside the judicial system. These implementations will help to foster a safe setting for students to prosper and learn free of fear.

