New Working Group to Address Sexual Misconduct Survivor Resources at USU

This week, President Noelle E. Cockett announced the formation of a Survivor Resources Working Group to evaluate existing and recommended resources for those who experience sexual misconduct while at Utah State University.

Chaired by Jess Lucero, head of USU’s social work department, this working group will create a plan for how additional resources could be most effectively used to support survivors and evaluate how this will affect the Sexual Assault and Anti-Violence Information office, which provides on-campus advocacy for survivors.

“While we always want to prevent sexual misconduct from happening in the first place, the support a survivor receives affects whether they report their experience and helps determine the trajectory of their healing,” President Cockett said. “This working group will help make sure we are using university resources in the best possible way for survivors.”

The president said she anticipates the outcomes from the working group will include recommendations on additional resources and how they should be used, as well as clarity on the scope of what the university will provide survivors.

Lucero was asked to chair the working group due to her expertise in this area and her current role in supervising the SAAVI office. The working group will include staff from university offices who work directly with survivors, faculty with subject-matter expertise, representatives from statewide campuses and an outside consultant to provide a fresh perspective on best practices. The group will also include student voices.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with this dynamic group as we work to improve and refine campus resources that support survivors in our USU community,” Lucero said. “There are numerous touchpoints in the system, and it’s crucial that they work in tandem with each other and with a trauma-informed perspective to best serve those who have experienced sexual misconduct.”

The working group is expected to provide recommendations to President Cockett before the start of the upcoming fall semester.

Over the last five years, the university has made vast changes in efforts to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct, including:

• Instituting mandatory sexual misconduct training for employees and prevention education for students.
• Updating policies and procedures to clarify expectations for behavior among students and employees.
• Introducing the Upstanding bystander intervention program.
• Conducting three campus climate surveys to gauge students’ experiences (and more recently employees’ experiences) and monitor university progress.
• Participating in the annual Start by Believing campaign.

Additionally, in January 2020, USU Police created a specialized unit that includes a confidential victim advocate and a dedicated law enforcement detective to respond to reported incidents of sex crimes and domestic violence.