Chances are you’ve heard about the “Yes Means Yes” bill sometime in the last few months—but what does it mean for Cal Poly students?
Signed into law this September, the bill mandates that all universities receiving public funds must have a comprehensive sexual assault policy that defines consent as “affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity… ongoing throughout a sexual activity.” In other words, “Yes Means Yes” hopes to shift the current idea that consent is implied until hearing a “no” to the view of consent as absent until obtaining a “yes.” Not too radical a thought, I think most would agree. Yet California is setting a precedent as the first state to pass an “affirmative consent” bill—Go California!
The bill was largely created due to the efforts of anti-rape activists and students who decried the current sexual assault policies held by many universities. Because of ineffectual school policies and low reporting, many perpetrators on college campuses are not expelled or punished in any way. Survivors of sexual assault are at high risk to drop out of school, especially with the added anxiety of running into their attacker around campus. In addition to defining consent, the “Yes Means Yes” bill aims to reform outdated policies and establish a supportive on-campus environment for survivors.
So, what changes will be made around Cal Poly due to the passing of this bill?
The CSU system’s Sexual Assault Policy had already included aspects of affirmative consent as of 2009. The section of the policy defining consent states that “the responsibility for establishing consent rests upon the person who is initiating the sexual activity.” Even if the updated policy does not change much, Cal Poly will no doubt be partnering with Safer to revamp outreach programs. Much of the “Yes Means Yes” bill outlines an increase in frequency and quality of campus programs concerning bystander intervention, prevention and awareness of rape and other sexual crimes.
On top of all other updates, university administrations are expected to collaborate with on- and off-campus legal, health, counseling and rape crisis centers to improve the support network for survivors of sexual assault.
Cal Poly and all the other state-funded California universities are taking this new law seriously. Though the bill is not officially recognized until January 2015, in just the last month, the new position of CSU System-wide Sexual Assault Coordinator was created and filled in response to the “Yes Means Yes” law. The Coordinator, Pamela Thomason, will guide the CSUs through the process of updating and implementing new sexual assault policies with the goal of improving safety and education on all CSU campuses. As a new year and new quarter approaches, expect to see more positive changes regarding the execution of “Yes Means Yes” around Cal Poly.
The “Yes Means Yes” law is far from perfect. Will it stop sexual crimes from occurring? No. But will it improve the way college administrations deal with cases of sexual assault? Yes. And could it lead to a cultural shift in the way Cal Poly students and the rest of Americans view rape? I am hopeful that it will.
Sources:https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB967
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/10/10/3578502/yes-means-yes-consent/
http://www.popcenter.org/problems/rape
http://mustangnews.net/csu-hires-systemwide-sexual-assault-coordinator/
Please drop by the Safer office in the UU if you need confidential counseling or have any questions or concerns about university policy on sexual crimes. They are there to help!http://deanofstudents.calpoly.edu/content/safer/index