On Oct. 1, 2023, a sexual assault was reported on campus. The incident was reported to the Rock Island Police Department, Augustana College Police and Public Safety Office.
The same day the report was filed, Public Safety sent an email to students, faculty and staff, informing the campus community about the sexual assault. A report was filed and the involved individuals have been given the security of confidentiality and privacy throughout this process.
According to the annual security and fire safety report, there were five reported instances of rape and two reported instances of fondling in 2022. These numbers are similar to the previous year with six reported rapes and three fondling reports. In 2020, reported rapes and fondling are 50% lower, and this can most likely be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual learning.
Augustana College has several resources available to students, such as the Peer Education Program and the office of sexual assault prevention and education (OSAPE). Title IX education and resources are posted around campus and on the Augustana College website. The college has also recently sent out a required sexual assault module that all students must complete.
In the event of a sexual assault, Title IX’s role is to ensure that the reporting party has supportive measures towards their education, confidentiality and the choice to move forward with the reporting process or not.
Chief Title IX coordinator, Jennie Hemingway, said that the purpose of the required sexual assault modules is to remind students about expectations in this community.
“The biggest thing we can do is educate people about consent,” Hemingway said. “Our consent definition allows both verbal and non-verbal, but all of that has to indicate a yes, and it has to be a willing yes.”
Program Director of OSAPE, Zachary Draves, said that for the last few years they have created door hangers to place on student dormitory rooms around campus. These door hangers include what the red zone is, his contact information and how to get in contact with other local resources.
According to Draves, students should also be aware of the “red zone” and what it means in relation to sexual assault on campus. The red zone is the time frame between when students first move in on campus until the time students leave for Thanksgiving break, where there are typically more reported sexual assaults and domestic violence incidents.
“We want to get this message out to everybody, but we have especially given this message out to the first-year students to let them know, to let them be aware of this,” Draves said.
OSAPE also has the Peer Education Program, where peer educators give presentations for topics like bystander interventions and more. Junior Christina Bourtzoni is one of the student peer educators on campus.
“The Peer Education Program is such a great way I can educate people on sexual assault because it is such a big concept,” Bourtzoni said. “We see that in our school and our everyday lives.”
OSAPE hosts events like the Take Back the Night rally and the Clothesline Project for students to come and further educate themselves on sexual assault and sexual assault awareness.
