The Legislative Fiscal Bureau released an analysis of Gov. Scott Walker’s 2015-17 biennial budget proposal Thursday that includes the deletion of University of Wisconsin System language related to sexual assault information and reporting.
The budget will delete the requirements that each institution must provide information on sexual assault to new students during orientation and that any person employed at an institution who knows of a sexual assault on campus is required to report it. It will also delete a portion delineating that each institution is to report sexual assault statistics on campus annually to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
UW System spokesperson Alex Hummel said the UW System requested this change so it could focus on federal reporting requirements instead of state ones.
“We were filling out two duplicate reports, and the people closest to the reporting process felt that [the federal report] was an incredibly responsible, effective and accountable reporting process,” Hummel said.
State statute changes in no way lessen our commitment to stopping sexual violence. This change will only eliminate a duplicative report.1/3
— Universities of Wisconsin (@UniversitiesWI) February 27, 2015
We remain deeply committed to strict compliance with reporting under federal Clery Act and Title IX. 2/3
— Universities of Wisconsin (@UniversitiesWI) February 27, 2015
UW System task force has been working since September to strengthen efforts to reduce sexual violence on campus: https://t.co/PtZVhtdYp1 3/3
— Universities of Wisconsin (@UniversitiesWI) February 27, 2015
Research Director at One Wisconsin Now Jenni Dye said this change is part of the shift toward a public authority model for the UW System, which would give system administration more autonomy. The deletion of this language is alarming because nationwide trends have shown sexual assault reporting is not something that should be left for universities to address on their own, she said.
“[Students] should be able to rely on state government to have an oversight role right here at home, not rely on federal reporting statistics,” Dye said.
A recent Jezebel article reported the language deletion but did not clarify the deletion was a UW System request.
