Who stands to benefit? SUU and the larger local community

This petition stems from a recent sexualized assault on the campus of Southern Utah University [SUU]. The SUU mission statement works towards empowering students to be “productive citizens, socially responsible leaders, high achievers and lifelong learners.” We are compelled to take this call seriously and collaboratively respond to this violence and to work to create a safer community for everyone.

Under Title IX SUU protects students by ensuring that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Every student, staff, and faculty has the right to feel safe and be safe from violence in their community, campus and classroom.

In order to support institutional accountability this petition supports anti-violence by calling for a campus safety audit.

What is a safety Audit and what will it address?

A coalition of students, staff, and faculty will be chosen to evaluate how the university’s safety measures may be used to reform and/or affirm SUU’s policies and mission statement which ensure student safety.

Some of the issues this audit will address include:

Lighting around campus and student-affiliated spaces.

Student, faculty, and staff access to emergency services and police support; including safety hotlines, security patrols, and community anti-violence awareness efforts.

Campus police, staff, and student training to respond to sexualized violence.

Campus policy that outlines consequences for perpetrators of sexualized violence.

Provision and/or improvement of cross-institutional victim-affirming services.

Our Goal is 4,000 Signatures Strong!

To build on our institutional capacity by strengthening the administrative response to sexualized violence.

If you would like a comprehensive resource on your Title IX rights which are a portion of the Education Amendments pertaining to discrimination that includes sexualized violence visit http://knowyourix.org/