According to a recent survey of 27 universities, sexual assault continues to be a national problem. The survey results, released Sept. 21 by the Association of American Universities (AAU), indicate that Cornell’s results largely are consistent with the data from all universities participating in the survey, reinforcing the need for continued work campuswide to prevent and respond to sexual violence.

Occurring with “unacceptable frequency at Cornell and on campuses across the country,” sexual violence at Cornell is a “campus and public health issue that affects every member of our community,” President Elizabeth Garrett wrote in an email to the Cornell community about the AAU survey. “The results also underscore there is still more work to be done to educate and to help protect our students. Even one instance of sexual assault on our campus is one too many.”

The AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct was administered at Cornell last spring by Westat, a research organization that also conducted the survey analysis. Of 20,547 Cornell students invited to participate, 3,906 responded, for a response rate of 19 percent; 2,345 of these were undergraduates, and 1,561 were graduate and professional students. The response rate was higher for women than men, and for graduate and professional students than for undergraduate students.

The survey questions gauged how students view the campus climate on sexual assault and misconduct; the frequency and prevalence of different forms of nonconsensual sexual contact, harassment, stalking and intimate partner violence; and how informed students are of the resources available to them to report sexual assault and sexual misconduct.

Among the survey findings:

• Most Cornell students responding to the survey believe campus officials would take a report of sexual assault or sexual misconduct seriously. Female students, particularly undergraduates, and students who identify as transgender, genderqueer or nonconforming (TGQN) are less optimistic. Female and TGQN students also reported a higher incidence of nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force or incapacitation (18 percent and 11 percent, respectively), than did male students (4 percent).
• While almost half of survey respondents had witnessed a drunken person heading for a sexual encounter, 79 percent said they did not intervene in the situation.
• While a large percent of Cornell student survey respondents believe sexual assault is a problem at Cornell, a much smaller percentage believe they will be victims of sexual assault.
• Most survey respondents reported being at least somewhat knowledgeable about the resources available; undergraduates feel more knowledgeable about Cornell policies and procedures than do graduate and professional students.
• In the survey results, undergraduate students reported three times the victimization rate of graduate and professional students (15 percent and 5 percent, respectively) since entering Cornell.

“We have made progress in heightening campus awareness about sexual violence and in creating a safe, supportive environment for reporting incidents, but more needs to be done to advance a healthy, inclusive and safe campus climate in which all campus community members can flourish,” said Mary Opperman, vice president for human resources and safety services and co-chair of the Cornell Council on Sexual Violence Prevention (CSVP).

CSVP co-chair Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life, is examining the resource needs related to education, training and communication. “There is nothing more imperative than engaging with student organizations, members of our governance systems and other students and faculty to reduce the risk of sexual violence on campus,” he said.

Cornell leadership also will re-examine the administration of the AAU survey to encourage greater student participation the next time a survey is conducted.

“We do not tolerate sexual violence by or against students, staff, faculty, alumni or visitors,” Garrett wrote. “Our community is committed to creating a safer, more caring campus culture in which bias, harassment and violence have no place. This is a responsibility Cornell has long taken seriously and will continue to do so.”