Appalachian State University Revamps Procedures for Dealing With Sexual Assaults on Campus

Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, has changed its procedures for dealing with sexual assaults after a complaint was filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Right by a woman student who alleged she was raped at an off-campus party by two male students.

Under the new procedures agreed to by the Education Department and the university, students will not participate in a review board that hears cases involving sexual assault. Instead, only faculty and staff members trained in dealing with sexual assaults will sit on the three-member panel. The university panel will investigate charges of sexual assault on campus, regardless of whether or not criminal procedures are undertaken.

The university also will conduct a survey of the student body to assess student awareness of their rights and to determine the extent of the problem on campus. The university is also conducting a “Red Flag” educational campaign to educate students about how they should respond when they see something that may be inappropriate sexual conduct.

Appalachian State has about 15,500 undergraduate students. Women make up 52 percent of the student body.