CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Campus safety legislation and recommendations have sparked discussion of changes in policy at Clarion University and other regional institutions.

While Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s new campus safety report provides recommendations for colleges and universities to better address drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues, and sexual assault, Governor’s Wolf has focused his attention primarily on violence, including sexual violence, and harassment, urging the passage of the following bipartisan bills:

• Amnesty for students who report domestic violence or sexual assault: requires postsecondary schools to have policies to protect the students from discipline for violating other school policies, such as drug and alcohol use. (HB1757 sponsored by Rep. Madeleine Dean and SB 871 sponsored by Senator Judy Schwank)
• Online, anonymous reporting of sexual misconduct: requires postsecondary schools to create the reporting option for students. (SB 874 sponsored by Sen. Lisa Baker and HB 1756 sponsored by Rep. Dan Frankel)
• Affirmative consent standards: requires postsecondary institutions adopt standards for responding to allegations of sexual violence and expand K-12 health education standards to explicitly address areas of consent and healthy relationships in middle and high school. (HB 1755 sponsored by Rep. Mary Jo Daley)
• Comprehensive anti-violence and anti-harassment policies: consolidate existing requirements for K-12 schools around bullying, harassment, and violence, requiring districts to implement anonymous reporting systems and report statistics to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. (SB 872 sponsored by Sen. Art Haywood and HB 1754 sponsored by Rep. Dan Miller)
• Expand the Office for Safe Schools: requires the office within PDE to provide resources and support to postsecondary as well as K-12 institutions. The Office will award grants, monitor and assist with compliance with federal laws, and offer training and resources to educational institutions. (SB 870 sponsored by Sen. Vincent Hughes and HB 1752 sponsored by Rep. Karen Boback)
• Annual report card on sexual violence and harassment: requires school entities and postsecondary institutions to submit information on sexual violence and harassment incidents that occur at the institution and requiring PDE to publish annual report cards. (HB 1753 sponsored by Rep. Brian Sims)

All of the bills currently remain in the House or Senate Education Committees.

“The federal government may be turning its back on these survivor/victims, but Pennsylvania must continue to make progress,” said Governor Wolf. “One year ago, I stood with hundreds of students and bipartisan legislators to support these bills. Given what’s at stake, it should be common sense to pass this legislation to make schools and campuses safer.”

“The information that is out there on this legislation doesn’t call for many changes for those of us in higher education who are following Title IX directives,” said Dr. Susanne Fenske, Clarion University vice president for student affairs.

“We already have an amnesty statement in our Code, online/anonymous reporting for sexual misconduct, a standard for responding to allegations of sexual violence.”

Clarion University’s online/anonymous reporting form can be found here.

Campus Safety Statistics at Regional Universities

Clarion University, IUP, and Slippery Rock, like many other universities in Pennsylvania, issue annual security reports of crimes which are compiled in accordance with the provisions of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Police and Crime Statistics Act.

In 2016, Clarion University reported four rapes, two instances of fondling, two instances of dating violence, two instances of stalking, and one robbery on campus property, as well as 32 liquor law arrests and 14 drug law arrests

Slippery Rock reported one aggravated assault, two forcible sex offenses, two non-forcible sex offenses, one instance of dating violence, and one instance of domestic violence on campus in 2016, as well as 141 liquor law arrests and 13 drug law arrests.

IUP reported four aggravated assaults, one rape, one instance of fondling, and three robberies on campus property in 2016, as well as 150 liquor law arrests and 29 drug law arrests.