Timeline of University Actions
Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response
USU creates a new online reporting hub to support a culture of compliance.
Utah Women & Leadership Project publishes research on perceptions of domestic violence, sexual assault, and harassment.
Third annual Northern Utah Conference to End Violence features domestic violence advocate Rachel Louise Snyder as keynote speaker.
President Elizabeth Cantwell discusses domestic and sexual violence on her Future Casting podcast.
USU releases 4th biennial sexual misconduct survey results.
USU recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month and celebrates Start by Believing Day.
USU releases 2023 annual security and fire safety report.
USU Office of Equity annual report shows greater use of resources.
Dr. Chris Linder conducts workshop on preventing sexual misconduct with Athletics.
USU hires new Title IX Coordinator.
A collaboration among USU’s Office of Equity, Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information (SAAVI) Office, and English department won a gold excellence award from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators for promoting sexual misconduct prevention with the help of students in a technical communications course.
USU updates sexual misconduct policies and procedures, and also adopts an affirmative definition of consent.
SAAVI celebrated its 20th anniversary of providing victim advocacy services and support to the USU community in March 2023.
USU and CAPSA host second annual Northern Utah Conference to End Violence to encourage community collaboration.
Office of Equity releases second annual report, highlighting sexual misconduct and discrimination prevention and response efforts from August 2021 to July 2022.
99% of students completed fall sexual misconduct training, and survey results show student knowledge about university resources and reporting is increasing.
USU partners with CAPSA to present the first Northern Utah Conference on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
USU releases results from its third sexual misconduct student survey and first employee survey.
Matthew Pinner named new executive director for USU Office of Equity.
USU Blanding hires a campus sexual violence prevention specialist.
USU Office of Equity releases its first annual report, outlining sexual misconduct and discrimination prevention and response efforts from August 2020 to July 2021.
USU hosts pledge tables on campuses across the state to encourage support for survivors of sexual violence.
USU forms a Survivor Resources Working Group to evaluate existing and recommended resources for those who experience sexual misconduct.
USU launches continuing student annual training requirement via online “Rethinking Relationships” course.
USU Blanding campus awarded one-year Utah Department of Health TANF program grant to hire a sexual violence prevention specialist.
Collaboration between Office of Equity, SAAVI, and English department is published in Communication Design Quarterly: “Unlikely Allies in Preventing Sexual Misconduct: Student Led Prevention Efforts in a Technical Communication Classroom.”
USU trains 6,677 employees and 6,745 students in sexual misconduct prevention.
USU trains 230 individuals in Upstanding bystander intervention practices.
USU accepted as a partner organization in the Action Collaborative on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.
USU recognized as 2021 “Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention” recipient.
USU hires General Crime Victim Advocate to work within the Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information (SAAVI) Office and USU Police. This position provides confidential advocacy to victims of any crime.
USU releases interim policy on sexual misconduct, clarifies expectations for conduct in the university community.
USU launches pilot versions of updated “live” employee reporting obligations trainings.
USU trains 1,668 employees and 2,130 students in sexual misconduct prevention.
USU trains 70 individuals in Upstanding bystander intervention practices.
USU recognized by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) for its ongoing commitment to “Start by Believing,” an international public awareness campaign intended to educate people on how to respond to disclosures of sexual or relationship violence.
USU launches pilot versions of “live” incoming student trainings at residential campuses, facilitated by peer educators at the Logan campus.
USU trains 906 employees and 4,897 students in sexual misconduct prevention.
USU trains 3,032 individuals in Upstanding bystander intervention practices.
USU Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information (SAAVI) Office awarded Office for Victims of Crime LEV grant to hire General Crime Victim Advocate to provide confidential advocacy to victims of any crime.
Office of Equity hires two prevention specialists, Jodie Goodman and Mary Reid, to coordinate student and employee trainings.
Office of Equity hires a supportive measures/prevention specialist, Katie Freeman, at the USU Eastern campus.
USU Blanding campus awarded one-year APHA/CDC Campus Sexual Assault Prevention Action Planning Program evaluation process grant. Student interns are hired with grant funds.
USU Blanding campus awarded one-year Utah Department of Health Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program grant. A part-time sexual misconduct prevention specialist, Shaina Sagg, and student interns are hired with grant funds.
USU recognized as 2021 “Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention” recipient.
Specialized team that includes sex crimes investigator and victim advocate hired by USU Police to provide trauma-informed response.
USU President Noelle E. Cockett signs resolution agreement with the Department of Justice after a Title IX Compliance Review.
USU recognized by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) for its ongoing commitment to “Start by Believing,” an international public awareness campaign intended to educate people on how to respond to disclosures of sexual or relationship violence.
USU trains 843 employees and 1,552 students in sexual misconduct prevention.
USU trains 346 individuals in Upstanding bystander intervention practices.
USU’s Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information Office and Office of Equity begin partnership with Dr. Avery Edenfield’s Project Management course to develop unique prevention efforts for the USU statewide system.
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences and USU’s Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information (SAAVI) Office invite Beauty Redefined to speak about resilience in the face of objectification.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) awards USU Police and the USU SAAVI Office STOP grant to hire specialized team that includes sex crimes investigator and victim advocate to provide trauma-informed response.
USU releases results of second sexual misconduct survey.
USU launches "I Ask" campaign to start conversations about consensual and respectful relationships.
Office of Equity hires third investigator, Michael Barrett, to coordinate responses and work with students on statewide campuses.
From fall 2017 through fall 2019
22396 students complete the online module "Sexual Assault Prevention."
10439 complete the Upstanding bystander intervention program.
3165 receive in-person education specific to healthy relationships and consent.
Victims of Crime Act Administrators (VOCA) awards the USU Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information (SAAVI) Office grant to hire a full-time advocate and provide training and survivor funds.
Office of Equity hires supportive measures specialist, Brittani Naegle, to coordinate accommodations for students.
USU's AAEO office updates its name to "Office of Equity" to better communicate its role on campus. The Office of Equity oversees Title IX compliance for all USU campuses.
USU Blanding campus awarded one-year American Public Health Association (APHA)/CDC Campus Sexual Assault Prevention Action Planning Program education grant. Student interns are hired with grant funds.
USU launches Upstanding social norms campaign.
SAAVI releases healthy online dating social media campaign.
USU implements second sexual misconduct survey for students.
SAAVI organizes second Start by Believing campaign.
USU hires new prevention specialist staff, Emmalee Fishburn, position in Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity office to coordinate campus-wide sexual misconduct prevention efforts targeting students and employees.
University trains 3640 in Upstanding.
USU names new Title IX Coordinator, Hilary Renshaw.
USU hires new director of the Office of Equity.
University revises in-person employee sexual harassment prevention and responsible employee trainings and rolled out in-person trainings at statewide campuses.
Community engagement working group convened to discuss opportunities to address sexual violence by working with local faith leaders.
Victims of Crime Act Administrators (VOCA) awards the USU Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information (SAAVI) Office grant to hire a part-time advocate and provide training and survivor funds.
USU invests $100,000-plus to add more than 50 new video cameras across campus, including a camera at the bottom of Old Main hill.
USU begins overhaul of fraternity and sorority life system to improve student safety and accountability; USU commits to training all fraternities and sororities in bystander intervention and consent on an annual basis.
USU creates Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Advisory Committee comprised of community members, alumni, and experts in the field.
SAAVI moves under Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology and two new positions (outreach coordinator and therapist) funded and staffed.
USU hires new fraternity and sorority life coordinator, Paige Eidenschenk, to facilitate changes in how chapters are recognized by USU, including monitoring safety issues and mentoring fraternity and sorority life leadership.
USU hires outside firm to investigate music department allegations – releases recommendations.
USU overhauls Title IX oversight.
USU launches first Start by Believing campaign to address bias issues that affect survivor disclosures.
Men Can Stop Rape visits the USU Logan campus to train leadership groups, athletics, and fraternity & sorority life about healthy masculinity and how we engage men in the movement to end sexual misconduct.
USU implements a “hard mandate” for all new students to take an online sexual assault prevention course before the end of their first semester.
USU launches “Upstanding” bystander intervention program: total 2808 trained.
USU releases details of 2016 internal inquiry.
USU receives notice on Jan. 12, 2017, from the Department of Justice that it was initiating an investigation into the university's responses to reports of student-on-student and employee-on-student sexual harassment, including sexual assault, between 2013 and 2017.
USU conducts first sexual misconduct survey for students.
Prevention, Education and Training Working Group recommends prevention strategy to Task Force: included mandatory online prevention for all freshman, the Upstanding bystander intervention program, and hiring a prevention specialist to coordinate both these efforts.
USU releases new website to co-locate sexual assault resources in one online landing page: usu.edu/sexual-respect
4,000+ USU community members sign the “I Will” pledge campaign to stop sexual assault.
President Albrecht creates new Sexual Violence Task Force and working groups (including Implementation and Coordinating Committee) with then Provost Noelle Cockett as chair.
USU begins using Maxient software system to more effectively track reports of sexual misconduct and discrimination across all campuses.
Noelle Cockett named university president and continues leadership of Sexual Violence Task Force.
Policy and procedures on confidential and anonymous reporting by students adopted in Student Code.
USU launches campaign defining sexual consent, "Consent Is."
DOJ Office of Violence Against Women (VAWA) awards USU grant to create community-wide response to sexual violence.
Salt Lake Tribune breaks story about Torrey Green, exposing gaps in sexual misconduct prevention and response efforts at USU.
USU releases recommendations from an internal inquiry into how USU handled information provided about Torrey Green crimes.
Sexual Harassment Policy 339 revised.