The attached proposals stem from the recognition that survivors have long been denied justice and strive to provide a constructive framework for Linfield to begin a comprehensive overhaul of the institution’s approach to sexual assault. The proposals were distributed to the Board of Trustees and the administration on August 9th, and as of today have not received any response.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I-Dfy9cE06pWxZSHM6rhLJqaugb3_oriMJGml6GNlTc/edit?usp=sharing 

Linfield has struggled for years to adequately respond to cases of sexual misconduct, which perpetuates an unsafe campus culture. The levels of sexual offenses in the 2018 Clery Report on the McMinnville campus are shockingly low, with only one report of rape and three reports of stalking. These numbers draw a sharp contrast to the national statistics that say that one in four women will experience a sexual assault in college, twenty-seven percent of college women have experienced forced sexual contact, and almost two-thirds of college students report instances of sexual harassment (Mousseau). Ninety percent of sexual assaults that occur on college campuses go unreported, and it has become increasingly clear that reporting patterns at Linfield follow this national trend (NSVRC 2018). Low levels of reporting at institutions like Linfield fail to communicate the prevalence of sexual assault on campus, further reinforcing the disconnect between administrative perception and student experiences that result in inadequate resources and programming, not to mention exacerbated pain for the survivors. 

Research has demonstrated that campus-wide education about resources for survivors and the reporting process increases reporting levels (Moynihan 2015). A higher reporting level is a more accurate reflection of students’ experiences, and this information enables the administration to provide appropriate resources and take specific steps to create a safer campus. Effectively explaining and frequently communicating how the reporting process works will make it less intimidating, leading to more reports. It is essential to undertake this communication in a variety of different methods in order to make this information accessible and understood by students, faculty, staff, and trustees. 

The  Spring 2020 President’s Sexual Assault Task Force’s report cited in the president’s recent Linfield Ahead message was cursory and failed to appropriately take into account the scope of the sexual assault crisis at Linfield and recognize the inadequacy of current policy and practices. This report stated that Linfield follows “best practices,” but survivors’ experiences clearly demonstrate that these current practices, based on legal minimums required, fail to protect and empower students. Policy changes must go beyond the bare minimum of adjusting to comply with Betsy DeVos’s new Title IX guidelines, and instead thoroughly reevaluate Linfield’s approach to sexual misconduct. Although Linfield has a working Title IX Review Committee, this group is specifically limited to addressing the legal obligations of the school under the new guidelines. This scope is far too narrow for this committee to sufficiently address the changes that need to be implemented to meet the institution’s ethical and moral responsibility to protect its community. 

This document was developed in response to student outcry and concerns and is based on both academic research and models from other institutions. The policy proposals focus on making Linfield’s sexual misconduct policy as survivor-oriented as possible given the limitations of the Title IX changes. The programming proposals outline ways in which the appropriate Linfield authorities can better educate the community on resources available and the reporting process itself, working to mitigate social stigmas and other barriers to reporting. Linfield has a duty to actively protect and empower its student body, and these proposals outline specific and feasible steps toward that end. We ask that the institution take the following proposals into consideration as it works to comprehensively reform Linfield’s sexual misconduct prevention and response policy and programming.