Dive Brief:
- The North-American Interfraternity Conference and the National Panhellenic Conference pulled support from the controversial Safe Campus Act in response to the declaration by several sororities’ national offices that they opposed the bill.
- Inside Higher Ed reports the groups no longer support the Safe Campus Act, which prevents colleges from responding to allegations of sexual assault unless the victim also reports to police, but maintained support for the Fair Campus Act, which is very similar but does not have the same requirement.
- The Huffington Post reports the national sororities that announced their opposition did so to both bills, taking a stand against the heightened standard of proof colleges would use under under both acts in deciding disciplinary cases.
Dive Insight:
Besides the sororities, the American Association of University Women, the Association for Student Conduct Administrators, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, NASPA, and the Clery Center for Security on Campus re-emphasized their opposition to both the Safe Campus Act and the Fair Campus Act. Both pieces of proposed legislation are universally opposed by groups aligned with the rights of victims.
The Campus Accountability and Safety Act is the preferred reform bill for these groups. It would require colleges and universities to implement a number of standard practices, including providing victims of sexual assault with confidential advisors, implementing a uniform student disciplinary process, and conducting an anonymous campus climate survey every two years.