Content warning: This article contains references to sexual violence.<\/p>\n
Penn President Larry Jameson reaffirmed the University\u2019s commitment to preventing sexual violence at a University Council meeting on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jameson\u2019s Oct. 14 comments came in the wake of a lawsuit<\/a> filed by a former Cornell University student alleging she was gang raped for nearly seven hours on the school\u2019s campus in 2024. The case has renewed national discussions about sexual violence and drawn outrage on college campuses across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n The University\u2019s approach to preventing sexual harassment and assault is \u201cunwavering,\u201d Jameson said during the meeting. Penn plans to expand its education and awareness efforts and increase its Title IX capacity, he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jameson referred to the recent launch<\/a> of the Center for Civil Rights, which consolidated the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, the Office of the Associate Vice President for Equity & Title IX, and the Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests under a single entity. Penn announced<\/a> CCR\u2019s leadership last month, appointing Michele Rovinsky-Mayer to continue her work leading the University\u2019s Title IX efforts.<\/p>\n Get the DP delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n Sign Up<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEveryone at Penn has the right to be safe, respected, and heard, and we condemn sexual misconduct and violence in all forms,\u201d Jameson wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. \u201cAs part of our ongoing commitment to doing better, we are strengthening our approach to prevention through expanded education and awareness efforts, additional Title IX capacity, and the work of our Center for Civil Rights.\u201d<\/p>\n The center aims to \u201cstrengthen our approach to prevention,\u201d keep policies up to date, and \u201cfoster allyship,\u201d Jameson said at the Oct. 14 meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cOur policies and resources matter, and the culture we build together matters just as much,\u201d Jameson wrote to the DP. \u201cThis is an area where Penn can be a national model of excellence, and that will require all of us to continue this work with urgency, transparency, and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n That goal, to position Penn as a leader in eliminating sexual harassment and violence, recalls a call to action<\/a> Jameson made ahead of the annual Take Back the Night<\/a> march in April.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEven one incident is one too many,\u201d Jameson wrote at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Penn Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention pushed<\/a> for more details regarding the new center at last month\u2019s University Council meeting. Since then, members of CCR and other administrators have met with the group \u2014 alongside the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Undergraduate Assembly \u2014 according to the secretary of the University Council.<\/p>\n Representatives from several student organizations continued to discuss the University\u2019s Title IX policies at Wednesday\u2019s open forum session. College senior and UA President Musab Chummun argued that \u201cTitle IX needs reform,\u201d adding that it is \u201cnot enough to do the bare minimum required by law.\u201d<\/p>\n At the open forum, Chummun also connected the issue to his broader criticism of Penn\u2019s governance approach. The University, he said, has a \u201cpervasive, defining, and all-encompassing\u201d problem of following \u201cdirectives as boxes to check off.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In a message to the University community last month, the UA condemned<\/a> Cornell\u2019s response to the incident and announced the formation of a committee aimed at improving Penn\u2019s existing policies.<\/p>\n \u201cThis tragic event reflects a broader reality across higher education, and Penn is no exception,\u201d Chummun wrote in a Sept. 28 email to undergraduates. \u201cAs a community, it is important that we stand by survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n A representative from the Penn Association for Gender Equity argued that the Cornell lawsuit \u201craised hard questions about whether Title IX offices are serving their purpose.\u201d The University\u2019s Title IX office has insufficient resources, according to the student.<\/p>\n \u201cOur institution is only at the forefront of change if there is a safe model for us to follow,\u201d the representative said, adding that \u201cverbal commitment has never and will never suffice.\u201d<\/p>\n Penn for Immigrant Rights also emphasized how changes around Title IX heavily affect undocumented survivors, calling for \u201cculturally competent support\u201d to bolster \u201ca sense of security in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n An ASAP representative described the current \u201cunease, sadness, and frustration\u201d on campus. They highlighted the importance of upholding a \u201cdaily fight\u201d for survivors.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happens when the news settles down?\u201d the spokesperson asked. \u201cDo not just let this be another passing headline.\u201d<\/p>\n One member of the United Minorities Council referenced a 1983 gang rape case<\/a> involving Penn\u2019s Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes Penn different from Cornell?\u201d they asked. \u201cSexual misconduct is not an abstract concern.\u201d<\/p>\n Senior reporter Kathryn Ye contributed reporting.\u00a0<\/p>\n Senior reporter James Wan leads administration reporting and can be reached at wan@thedp.com<\/a>. At Penn, he studies communication and computer science. Follow him on X @JamesWan__<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Content warning: This article contains references to sexual violence. 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