We, the undersigned faculty, staff, and other allies stand against the serious problem of sexual violence on college campuses. It causes pain and suffering for survivors, and is in direct opposition to our work of teaching students the knowledge and skills for personal and civic well-being.

We call upon college and university presidents to swiftly adopt best practices for preventing sexual assault on campus, including implementing best practices to encourage survivors to report sexual assault, a fair and equitable adjudication process, use of strong sanctions to deter repeat rapists, and effective prevention practices. The campus rape epidemic is a serial rape problem and can only be effectively addressed if this fact is recognized. We also call upon all colleges and universities to adopt an affirmative consent standard for all sexual conduct: only a clearly articulated, non-coerced, and enthusiastic “yes” counts as consent.

We stand with survivors of sexual assault. Responsibility for sexual assault lies solely with perpetrators and those who actively or tacitly endorse their actions. Survivors are not to blame for being assaulted.

We are committed to changing rape culture that is endemic on our campus and in our society so that sexual violence is eliminated. Our commitment will continue until this public health crisis is resolved.

In Solidarity with Survivors,