The dean of students office is set to release hundreds of confidential complaints in response to an open-records request by the Associate Students of Madison Diversity Committee.
The harrassment complaints to be released are part of hte Speak Up Program, started in 1995 to provide students an outlet to report incidents of harassment.

However, Jenny Chen, ASM Diversity Committee co-chair, said the program has been going downhill, with fewer reports being submitted every year.

“Seeing the type of reports will help us figure out what incidents are being reported,” Chen said. “We know harassment and assaults are underreported, and we want to find out how to get these students’ stories heard.”

The committee also plans to collect information directly from students about their harassment and assault experiences to compile in a book to be published in April.

Assistant Dean of Administration Suzanne Jones is currently working to make the records accessible to the committee. She said some of the reports will be altered to omit names and other identifying characteristics of both victims and perpetrators of harassment.

“We’re going to do everything possible to make sure no one would be identifiable,” Jones said. “That’s our main concern. We have no problem with the stories being told, and we think it will be helpful to students.”

Jones said the office has several ways of disciplining students who are found guilty of harassment, including mediation and education.

In addition to the publication, ASM Student of Color Liaison Jesse Kiley is planning to create a mobile graffiti wall so students can express their stories artistically rather than linguistically.
“Art is a great tool for organizing, but we don’t do it enough on campus,” Kiley said. “The graffiti wall will be a great way of getting students’ stories out visually.”