Sophia Tulp

USA TODAY

Today is a big day for the Obama Administration's efforts to end sexual assault on college campuses.

With just two weeks to go in office, Vice President Joe Biden released his last call to action for the “It's on Us” campaign, calling for university administrators to “step up” and end sexual assault on college campuses.

And today, the White House is hosting the final It's On Us summit, an event focused on stopping sexual violence against students that will sum up a six-year initiative.

Also today, The White House released its second and final report on student sexual assault and a guide for university and college presidents, chancellors and senior administrators.

It’s On Us and The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault

It’s On Us has three main components:

- Consent education.

- Increasing bystander intervention.

- Creating an environment that supports survivors.

It dates back to April 2011, when Biden and then-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued comprehensive guidance that reminded colleges that under federal civil rights laws they are not only obligated to respond to sexual assault, but also prevent it.

Three years later, in January 2014, the president and vice-president established the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.

The administration’s efforts culminate today in the final summit, in which members of the administration are meeting with student leaders, federal representatives, community organizers and business leaders to discuss how sexual assault is being addressed on campuses.

Biden’s Message

In a Jan. 5 message about the progress the administration has made on the issue, Biden recapped the numerous headlining incidents of sexual assault on college campuses within the past year, referencing the assault of a woman by three men after a football game, with videos posted on social media; a student at a military service academy falling victim to “sexually humiliating hazing rituals at the hands of his peers”; and threats of sexual violence against the LGBT community via social media including Yik Yak.

Biden called for college and university presidents, chancellors and senior administrators to change the culture on their campuses by protecting students and supporting survivors, as well as making it clear that sexual violence will not be tolerated.

Related: The White House refuses to visit colleges that don't address sexual assault

“We haven’t seen enough of you,” Biden stated in a message posted to Medium. “As presidents, chancellors, deans, and administrators, you have an obligation to stand up, to speak out, to foster the safest and most inclusive environment possible for every student that walks onto your campuses. So I’m asking you to approach sexual violence with the same seriousness and resources as you would any other epidemic. Change depends on your leadership.”

The statement included a preview of the guide from the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, highlighting a few key steps to address campus sexual assault, including:





Sending a clear message to students, faculty, administrators, coaches, and campus safety personnel that sexual misconduct will not be tolerated and survivors must be supported.

Conducting a campus climate survey to understand the scope of the problem on your campus.

Training all students — during orientation and via “booster shots” throughout their college education — about consent, relationship violence, sexual misconduct, stalking, and bystander intervention, where to find resources for help, and where to file complaints. Special attention should be paid to certain areas, such as athletics and Greek life, which have historically been sites of sexual violence at many institutions of higher education.

Biden concluded the final message with a powerful call to action:

“At the end of the day, it’s about creating an environment where all students are treated with dignity and respect; where men and women feel empowered to step up and speak out against sexual violence; and where survivors of sexual assault no longer feel ashamed to come forward and ask for the help they desperately want and deserve. Your actions matter. Your leadership matters.”

Sophia Tulp is an Ithaca College student and a USA TODAY College digital producer.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.