Thursday, July 10, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, July 10, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 17 Among these schools is Pennsyl- vania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State, like Michigan, received nation-wide scrutiny on its administration's response to sexual assault following allegations of sexual abuse by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Although Penn State had the high- est number of reported instances of sexual assault from 2010 to 2012, it also had the greatest rise of reported allegations in that time frame, from 4 reported assaults in 2010 to 56 in 2012. Penn State has recently imple- mented several programs to aid stu- dents, faculty and staff in responding to and preventingsexual misconduct. These include self-defense courses, mass educational initiatives, open campus discussions and changes to police protocol. LisaPowers, director ofthe Office of Strategic Communications at Penn State, said the university takes the issue of sexual violence on campus very seriously and encourages open, national discussion on the issue. She added that she believes high rates of reported assault reflect victim com- fort with coming forward. "We certainly believe training is effective, and we know that if more people are aware they are gener- ally more likelyto come forward and report,"she said."That's agood thing, since we know this is a crime that is vastlyunder-reported." Lisa Lapin, associate vice presi- dent of University Communications at Stanford University, which had the fifth highest number of reported sexual offenses in 2012, echoed simi- lar attitudes toward reported assault. "We consider the numbers actu- ally a success, because underreport- ingisachronicprobleminallcolleges and universities," she said. "We look at the increase in our numbers to mean that our outreach programs are working and we're helpingpeople get access to the resources that they need." On the other end of the spectrum, Johns Hopkins University, which only had 6 total reported instances of sexual assault from 2010 to 2012, started takingsteps to improve their sexual misconduct policy following the Department of Education's man- date clarifyinguniversity's active role in investigating allegations of sexual assault under Title IX, though the school isn't currently under investi- gation. Dennis O'Shea, executive director of Media Relations and Crisis Com- munications at Johns Hopkins Uni- versity, said the university revised their sexual violence policy in December 2012. It has created a 24/7 crisis hotline for survivors of sexual assault to feel comfortable reporting attacks and hired a sexual violence prevention, education and response coordinator. They are working to reword their policy to make it more understandable to students. Though O'Shea did not wish to comment on the low number of reported assaults, he said the school is in the process of forming a Sexual Violence Advisory Committee with students, faculty and staff to help the school address prevention and response. "We're in no way complacent," he said. "There is more to do and we are determined to do it. We will live up to the standards we have set for our- selves." Though university spokespeople andfederalresearchers believegreat- er numbers of reported instances of assault is an improvement, it is still only part of the problem in combat- ing occurring sexual assault across campuses. For the University, Rider-Milkov- ich said it will take continuous, vig- orous and community-wide effort to end instances of sexual assault on campus, both reported and not. "We're looking at the long hori- zon here," she said. "Anytime you're talking about shifting culture, you're looking at a long horizon, but I think that Michigan has the infrastructure, the commitment, the expertise and the willto makethathappen." TRANSIT From Page 1 with Disabilities Act Some of the environmentally- friendly features of the building include the use of storm water collected from the roof in public restrooms, heated driveways and sidewalks to decrease snow-salt usage and the reuse of materials from the former transit building in the new facility. Contractors and manag- ers of the center also partnered with small Ann Arbor-based and Detroit-based businesses in excavating and facilitating the building. Managers chose these companies under the guidelines of federal programs devoted to fos- tering growth in local economies and helping minority individuals and women run businesses. The center received $7 million in fed- eral funds towards the renovation project. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) spoke at the event on the impor- tance of mass transit to help move communities forward. He said though he loved to see American automobiles on the road, mass transit is critical in helping those that can't afford their own vehicle. Dingell also congratulated the Ann Arbor community for its achievement, and noted that this is one step of many to improve qual- ity of life in the city. Quoting Churchill, he said, "It is not the beginning of the end, it is perhaps the end of the beginning. More needs to be done and has to be done quickly." Ann Arbor Mayor John Hief- tje echoed Dingell's observations, speaking on the affordability of public transit for citizens. He also brought up the federal funds the AAATA received to build a new train station in Ann Arbor. "I think that this is one of the best things that we can do for our city in the future, it helps every- one, it lifts all boats," Hieftje said. Larry Krieg, Ypsilanti repre- sentative on the AAATA's board of directors, was in attendance at the event. He said he was excited to see the center transform into a social gathering site over the next few years and was proud of the eco-friendly and user-friendly fea- tures of the building. "The whole thing is so accessible to mobility challenges, that's avery important thing," Krieg said. "Peo- ple say that ifa system, a building or a transportation system, works well for disabled people, it'll work better for everyone else." 'U' ranks second in total number of reported sexual assaults More survivors coming forward first step in changing campus culture By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily NewsEditor According to a recent analysis done by the Washington Post on data from the U.S. Department of Education, the University of Michi- gan had 34 total reported instances of sexual assault last year - the sec- ond highest number in the nation. The University had 64 total recorded instances of sexual assault on campus from 2010 - 2012. There were 0.78 reported offenses per 1,000 students in 2012. Of the nearly 1,570 colleges and universities listed, Pennsylvania State University had the highest number of reported sexual assaults with 56 in 2012. Harvard ranked third, behind the University, with 31. In contrast, 45 percent of univer- sities with enrollment of 1,000 or higher had 0 reported instances of sexual assault last year. Overthe pastyear,theUniversity has been no stranger to scrutiny by both outside law enforcement and students over its handling of sexual assault allegations. The Michigan Daily reported in January the permanent separa- tion of Brendan Gibbons, a kicker for the University's football team, from the University for sexual mis- conduct. Following a complaint filed by former University professor Doug Smith, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation on the Uni- versity's handling ofthe separation. Central Student Government also commissioned atask force to review the circumstances surrounding the separation. The task force found the University responsible for mishan- dling Gibbons' sexual misconduct case after two months of scrutiny. Though high reporting rates, coupled with the allegations sur- rounding Gibbons' separation could create an unfavorable perception of the University, Holly Rider-Milkov- ich, director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, said she believes the rates are likely not different from other universi- ties nationally. What's different, she said, is the atmosphere around reporting incidents when they hap- pen, making high reporting rates more of a positive than anegative. "When I see those high report- ingrates, Ithinktomyselfthat's one more student who has felt comfort- able in sharing the feeling of harm and has connected to the spectrum of resources," she said. "I am proud of the reporting rate that we have achieved." RecentchangestoUniversity sexual misconduct policy In January 2014, the White House Council on Women and Girls published a sexual assault report entitled "Rape and SexualAssault:A Renewed Call to Action" that stated nearlyl in5 women have been sexu- ally assaulted while in college and 7 percent of college men admitted to committing rape or attempting rape. The data reveals that only 12 percent of student survivors report the assault to law enforcement. To combat these statistics and others on sexual assault on campus- es, the University began a30-month long study on campus climate regarding sexual assault and new methods to prevent and respond to it for the purpose of revising the sexual misconduct policy at the University. The policy sets the Uni- versity's procedures for responding to sexual assault cases and issues on campus. During an initial interim stage beginning in 2011, the directors of office of Student Conflict Reso- lution, the Office of Institutional Equity, SAPAC and a staff member in the Office of the General Counsel gathered to review data and brain- storm new initiatives. Survivors of sexual assault and others impacted by the previous policy were also consulted. Rider-Milkovich said the new policy respects the values and expectations of University staff, students and faculty. "Unlike many campuses, the University of Michigan's policies are unique to our needs and it's unique to what we value," she said. "It's not an off the shelf product." The new University policy encourages any and all reporting of sexual misconduct, and gives faculty and administration a great- er responsibility in investigating assault allegations. Two full-time investigators also work regularly on analyzing and studying sexual mis- conduct cases. Since the implementation of the interim policy in 2011, the Univer- sity has seen far greater reported instances of sexual assault - the number of reports in 2012 is more than double thatof2010. SAPAC student director Kathryn Abercrombie attributed the spike of reported incidences to the policy change. "We've seen the number of reports rise because there has been a different reporting process that make it easier for survivors tocome forward," Abercrombie said. LSA senior Katelyn Maddock agreed. She lauded the University's system of supporting sexual mis- conduct survivors and giving them the confidence to report crime. "High reporting doesn't really reflect that we have a problem," Maddock said. "I think it does reflect that people are coming for- ward. We have a really good system in place." Reporting sexual assault across U.S.universities In light of the White House report, the Obama administration created a task force to combat cam- pus sexual assault as well as nation- wide sexual violence. "To make our campuses safer, change still needs to come from many quarters: schools must adopt better policies and practices to prevent these crimes and to more effectively respond when they hap- pen,"the reportstated. "And federal agencies must ensure that schools are livingup totheir obligations." Federal law agencies took action again last May when the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened an investi- gation on over 60 universities for possible violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 which prohibits gender-based dis- crimination in federally funded programs and organizations. CAFE From Page 1 ing, but we didn't think that was the proper fit and wanted to do the leasing correctly," he said. "We tried to select a good vari- ety of retailers and restaurants." "Sweetwaters is a wonder- ful tenant and a great addition to the building," he said. "They are local, they have a great brand and a great image." Sheila Li and her husband Roy Xu, owners of the new Sweetwa- ters cafe, said they were happy to be able to share more of the Sweetwaters experience with Ann Arbor customers. "It has been very exciting to have the grand opening and to see customers come in and enjoy the atmosphere and the design of the store," Li said. "We already have a steady customer base, since Sweetwaters have been in Ann Arbor for over 21 years." Li also highlighted several unique sustainable designs of the store, including LED light- ing, an energy-saving instant water heater, motion sensors for lighting control and a self-suf- ficient green wall that features live plants, as features she was particularly proud of. The cafe will be the first cof- feehouse to be certified LEED by the U.S. Green Building Coun- cil, she said. LEED certification indicates that a business has met certain construction and build- ing prerequisites that reduce the impact they have on the environ- ment. Sweetwaters founder Lisa Bee said they are thrilled to be in the East Liberty space. The energy level and the business at the new cafe have been great and it's get- ting busier every day, she added. "We have a lot of students who are customers," she said. "I really think students are going to make the cafe their own and we'll adopt to their taste." Slurping Turtle Sous Chef Juan-Paulo Garcia said his res- taurant, which neighbors Sweet- waters, has been successful since its April 21 opening and the loca- tion has exceeded their initial expectations. "Sweetwaters will be a great addition and will definitely bring a lot of foot traffic to the area," he said. Take the bus to the Bot! And treat yourself to some flowers and trails this summer at Matthaei Botanical Gardens-for free! It's easy: reserve your free ride on the MDetroit Center Connector shuttle bus at detroitcenter.umich.edu/mdcc and board at the Central Campus Transit Center with your Mcard.