Dive Brief:
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges officials say changes to policies and procedures for arbitrating campus sexual assault allegations will be made before the fall semester.
- Students and alumni of Hobart and William Smith have been urging changes in how the colleges deal with sexual misconduct following a New York Times article published last week that detailed how one such case was botched.
- An online petition by the Coalition of Concerned Students had gathered 3,971 signatures as of Thursday.
Dive Insight:
Officials at the colleges have defended their response to the alleged rape of a freshman by three football players last fall that was the subject of the NYT's article. Concerned Students has called for several changes, including appointing qualified individuals to the panel that reviews sexual assault allegations and requiring mandated rape prevention and student life seminars to focus on bystander intervention. An alumni group, HWS Community for Change, has recommended five changes, including creating transparency for a review committee that will look at possible procedure and policy changes, and to include students, faculty and alumni on that committee. Representatives of both groups are expected to meet within the next two weeks with administrators from the colleges.