Sexual Violence Prevention Initiatives

Leadership & institutional commitment

Visible leadership statements: The Coalition on Sexual Violence Prevention, co-chaired by two vice presidents, includes staff, faculty, graduate/professional and undergraduate student leaders who inform the development of prevention and intervention strategies related to sexual and dating violence, sexual harassment, domestic violence, stalking, and related misconduct.

Biennial data collection and analysis: In order to monitor trends and inform program development, a student survey to measure incidence and prevalence of sexual and dating violence, knowledge of resources, and reporting options after victimization is conducted every other year. Not only does this meet state requirements for surveying the student population but it provides ongoing information and valuable insight about the context in which victimization occurs.

Tracking of reports and complaints: Cornell’s Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX is responsible for annual reviews of reports and complaints to the University in order to assess climate concerns and provide or suggest programming based on identified needs.

Culture change strategies

Cultivation of a Caring Community: Training for student organizations, student leaders, staff, and faculty provides information about accessing care, reporting options, and safe and effective bystander intervention methods. Work with student organizations and campus offices to apply public health concepts to prevention promotes new strategies that may ensure a healthier social environment. 

The CORE RAs: (COmmunity and REspect Resident Assistant): This group within Residential Life includes select resident advisors from each residential community who receive on-going training, provide awareness activities, and work to identify, develop, and implement environmental interventions within their communities to foster positive social interactions and healthy relationships. They work to transform environments into more positive social settings while simultaneously examining and shifting group cultural norms that may contribute to the risk of sexual violence.

Educational initiatives 

Skorton Center for Health Initiatives: This department of Cornell Health provides sexual violence prevention leadership including innovative environmental and educational strategies, data collection, community engagement and response and support to those affected.

Sexual & dating violence education: Cornell’s ongoing, comprehensive educational programs and campaigns that many departments across campus organize are culturally-relevant, inclusive of diverse communities and identities, sustainable, responsive to community needs, informed by research or assessed for value, effectiveness, or outcome, and consider environmental risk and protective factors as they occur on the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels. 

New student training: All incoming first- year and graduate/professional students are expected to complete orientation requirements that address building healthy relationships and establishing community norms of respect. Residential workshops, lectures, awareness activities, and other programs provide educational opportunities throughout the academic year. Federal and state mandates requiring sexual assault education are met through orientation programs (online for graduate and professional students; in person presentations for undergraduate students), skill-building, and innovative bystander intervention training opportunities to promote a respectful community environment.

Online resources: University websites provide information about related policy, reporting, care, and support options. See share.cornell.edu and titleix.cornell.edu.

Student-led educational interventions: Students groups (e.g., Consent Ed, One Love) promote group interventions that provide information and skill-based training on ways to intervene to reduce the risk of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, harassment and stalking. 

Media communication: Resource cards and web pages promote positive social norms and educate the community about respect, the importance of bystander interventions, and the availability of campus resources and support services.

Faculty and staff education: Employees are offered educational opportunities to learn about reporting options and resources for students in the event a student discloses sexual misconduct.

Environmental strategies

The Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC): This committee reviews and makes recommendations for the improvement of current campus security policies, plans, and procedures. 

Creating safer communities: Blue lights, safety escorts, campus key card system, and student input about safety are sponsored by Cornell University Police, Risk Management, and other departments.

Cornell University Police (CUPD) crime prevention officers can provide safety assessments and help develop safety plans as needed.. 

Help-seeking & reporting

Cornell’s SHARE website: (Sexual Harassment and Assault: Response & Education) is a comprehensive resource which provides information about helping a friend, the availability of medical and counseling services, as well as other support and reporting options.

Annual training: Residential student and professional staff receive annual training on providing support and resources to students living in residential housing.

The Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX:  Staff in this office are responsible for compliance with applicable state and federal statutes, including Title IX of the Federal Higher Education Amendment of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial aid. Through Cornell University Policy 6.4 and the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX, students, staff and faculty are provided information about the reporting of, and remedies for, incidents of bias discrimination, harassment, and sexual and related misconduct, including gender-based harassment, sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking and sexual exploitation

Coordinated victim support & services

Victim Advocacy Program: Advocates provide client-centered services to students after an incident through support, connection to resources, information, academic considerations and provision of reporting options.

Cornell Health: Staff members provide a collaborative approach to health care. Medical and counseling professionals work together to provide care for students who have experienced assault or abuse.

Crisis Managers: Designated staff members are on-call at all times to coordinate the university’s response to crisis situations.

Community collaboration: Campus services and local agencies (e.g., the Tompkins County Advocacy Center and Cayuga Medical Center’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program) provide coordinated care and services.

Community collaboration: Campus services and local agencies (e.g., the Tompkins County Advocacy Center and Cayuga Medical Center) provide coordinated care and services. Cayuga Medical Center (CMC) Emergency Department treats individuals seeking care after an instance of sexual assault or domestic violence. Specially trained trauma-informed providers are available to collect forensic evidence as needed (often referred to as a SANE exam).

Incident response & accountability

Consistent enforcement of laws & policies: The Cornell University Police, Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX, and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards — along with Cayuga Heights, Tompkins County, and NY State police — strive for clear and consistent enforcement of policies* and laws. 

The Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX: Staff in this office are responsible for compliance with applicable state and federal statutes, including Title IX of the Federal Higher Education Amendment of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial aid.

The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS): The OSCCS supports the holistic development of the student experience by educating students about behavioral expectations and enforcing the Student Code of Conduct through a fair and educational process that fosters campus safety, accountability, and personal/organizational development. 

The Student Code of Conduct is intended to preserve a higher education community and residential campus in which ‘any person’ in the community can pursue their education in a secure and nourishing environment. The Code covers the conduct of students and recognized and registered student organizations. The Code also outlines the process in which reported violations of the Code are handled, as well as the role of OSCCS

Future directions 

While maintaining the strategies inventoried in this report, additional strategies that will be explored in the coming years include:

Coordinated strategies that build on the public health approach to sexual violence prevention through sustained community involvement, increased bystander intervention education, support and awareness.

Increased opportunities that empower students to intervene safely when they identify risk within their social circles and improve their skills to respond to friends who disclose they have been assaulted.

Heightened student engagement by creating on-going opportunities and expectations that inspire students to be involved and support campus- wide initiatives. These efforts are supported by positive messaging about healthy relationships and by highlighting and fostering positive social norms rather than focusing on negative behaviors. 

Enhanced campus partnerships that will coordinate opportunities for students to engage in thoughtful values clarification to help them explore their sexual boundaries, sexual decision-making, personal agency, and develop and maintain respect for their own and others’ autonomy.