ALLENDALE, MI - Grand Valley State University is exploring the possibility of providing a sex assault nurse examiner on campus for students, part of ongoing discussions college staff began last week with Ottawa County's prosecutor and sheriff.

Adding the rape kit services - a vital step in preserving evidence after a sex assault - in a place that's close to students was one of four areas the parties agreed to continue discussing after a 90-minute meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Right now, the closest exam site to the Allendale campus is the YWCA Nurse Examiner's Program in Grand Rapids, in neighboring Kent County.

This recent discussion came after Prosecutor Ron Frantz last month criticized GVSU, saying the school was discouraging prompt reporting of sex assaults by not having a greater sense of urgency when dealing with student victims.

Frantz has said it sometimes takes weeks or months before sex assault cases reported to GVSU staff land at his office. This time lag creates missed opportunities to gather immediate evidence - such as a rape kit - that could lead to successful prosecutions.

"The meeting was important, constructive, and very helpful," said Jesse Bernal, vice president for the division of inclusion and equity at GVSU, one of five staffers at the meeting.

"The meeting provided clarity on our various practices and procedures and the complex dynamics of both overlapping and distinct requirements for each of our areas."

Questions about how sex assaults are reported and prosecuted arose after four off-campus rapes this semester, and another four were reported on-campus this year. No arrests have been made by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department in the off-campus rapes. Of the on-campus rape reports, GVSU police said none were forwarded to Frantz's office for prosecution.

GVSU President Thomas Haas and staff have reiterated the university takes a victim-centered approach to sexual assault, encouraging reporting but allowing the victim to decide when, and if, to talk to police.

If sex assault victims do want to preserve evidence of a crime, rape kits are essential. They're also time-sensitive. Documentation of injuries and collection of DNA evidence need to be done within 120 hours or five days of an assault, the limit for such a forensic exam under state law.

Bernal said GVSU is reviewing its "victim-centered and trauma-informed best practices." The school and authorities are working to make the investigative process a priority, while simultaneously maintaining its prioritizing victims and survivors.

Ottawa County Sheriff Gary Rosema and Frantz agree with GVSU that the meeting at the Ottawa County Administrative Building was helpful. They were joined by Jennifer Kuiper-Weise, assistant prosecuting attorney, Ottawa County Sheriff's Capt.Mark Bennett and Services Capt. Valerie Weiss.

"Our meeting was productive," Frantz said. "We collectively agreed on several areas of emphasis and continued discussion.''

Besides the nurse examiner services, the other three subject areas of discussion were:

• Ongoing and renewed emphasis on the timely preservation of evidence through the nurse examiner's program.

• Expanding on sexual assault response team training among the GVSU Police Department, the college's Women's Center and Title IX office, the sheriff, the prosecutor and other local agencies that do anti-violence work.

• Establish a multi-agency task force that would meet regularly to discuss incidents, investigations, and best practices toward improving the readiness for prosecution of sexual assault cases when victims choose to involve law enforcement.

Bernal said the task force was only discussed in concept, and details have not been confirmed but are in process. He said the sheriff's department already serves in their Sexual Misconduct and Assault Response Team (SMART) and initial discussions are to invite representatives from the prosecutor's office to join.

SMART reviews specific cases while also looking holistically at practices, trends and policy.

"We remain committed with our resources to work with GVSU in making these cases a priority," said Rosema, who also characterized the meeting as productive.

"The focus remained on the victim, the GVSU community and the Allendale community as well. All this with making the investigative process a priority in an effort to bring resolution to cases and identifying those responsible."

Grand Valley Police Chief Renee Freeman, who attended the meeting, said GVSU is committed to addressing sexual assault from a victim-centered approach while maintaining the integrity of a solid and thorough investigation.

"We urge early reporting, which affords us an opportunity to gather information, preserve evidence and prepare for successful prosecution, should a victim-survivor choose to do so,'' she said.

Besides Freeman and Bernal, the other GVSU staff present for the meeting included: Matt McLogan, vice president for university relations; Marlene Kowalksi-Braun, associate vice provost for student affairs and assistant vice president for inclusion and equity; and Tom Butcher, GVSU counsel.