President Mooney Releases Findings of Task Force on Sexual Violence

April 29, 2016 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary’s College President Carol Ann Mooney announced to students, faculty, and staff this afternoon the findings of the Presidential Task Force on Sexual Violence, which has met all this academic year. The task force addressed three issues:

  1. What steps can Saint Mary’s take to reduce and eliminate sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence against our students? 
  2. In what ways can Saint Mary’s improve the College’s procedures for handling claims of sexual assault and sexual violence? 
  3. How can Saint Mary’s better support our students who have survived some form of sexual violence?

Here is the letter the president issued via email this afternoon:

Dear Saint Mary’s Community,

As you know, last fall I formed a Presidential Task Force to continue the dialogue on the issue of sexual violence.  Membership on the task force included 3 faculty members, 6 students, 3 administrators, the Vice President for Student Affairs, the College Counsel, and myself.  The result of the work of the task force is a report to the community, which we are releasing today.  

The task force examined the College’s efforts to prevent sexual assault, handle accusations of sexual violence, and support survivors of sexual assault.  It then made recommendations to ensure that Saint Mary’s has the best possible policies and practices in place for our students.  The task force began its work by dividing into subcommittees to develop concrete recommendations.  The subcommittees were 1.) education and training, 2.) support, and 3.) processes.  This report is a synthesis of their work and contains recommended steps to address this most egregious issue.

I thank the members of the task force for their diligence and hard work and hope that the recommendations contained within the report will be of use to the community as we move forward in our efforts to improve practices that address sexual violence at Saint Mary’s College. Click here for the full report.  

Sincerely,

Carol Ann Mooney
President, Saint Mary's College 

About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews.

Contact for News Media: Gwen O'Brien, director of integrated communications, Saint Mary's College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579.

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