The program has recently been publicized after its director left her position.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, 124 colleges are under investigation for the botched handling of sexual assault cases. Ohio University is not one of those colleges, in fact we were viewed as an example of above-average sexual assault case handling. That, in large part, is credited to the Survivor Advocacy Program, which has recently ceased to exist.
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It’s beyond disappointing to see this important program fall apart, especially after the praise it was given during the Athena’s showing of The Hunting Ground, only weeks before the program closed, and even how emphasized it is as a resource during RA training in the summer. So, much more could have been done in terms of looking for a new interim director. Ultimately the actions of keeping this highly praised resource are not lining up with how highly it is spoken of, and how important the community thinks it is.
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This is such a sad happening on our campus, sexual assault is such a prominent issue, and has multiple adverse effects on the survivor, not to mention the complicated process needed to navigate the medical and legal actions surrounding the incident, that the Counseling and Psychological Services doesn’t have the knowledge to guide survivors through. It’s discouraging and disheartening to lose this poignant resource that would help people do just that, as well as the thinking the CPS can take on all of the duties OUSAP did previously.
If this is really something that the school and the community care about, this issue will be solved quickly. Until then, it is our job as the student body to demand change and speak out about the importance of OUSAP. If this isn’t resolved, we at least need to take a stance making it clear we are not supporting the current state of things.
Adrienne Tong is a resident assistant at Ohio University.
