Belmont’s Title IX Coordinator is gathering data from students with a survey on the current sexual assault climate on campus.
The survey is meant to determine how prevalent sexual assault and harassment are on Belmont’s campus, as well as student perceptions on how well the university responds to reports of sexual assault.
University Title IX Coordinator Molly Zlock worked with Coordinator of Security Programs Liz Grubb and senior administration to design the survey, which uses elements from similar surveys at other universities but is tailored specifically to Belmont.
“We want to know what’s happening at Belmont so we can help end the violence,” said Grubb, who works as a confidential advocate for victims. “There’s tons of national statistics and that’s what we’ve been using as a guideline, but the Belmont community is so unique that I honestly don’t know if the statistics nationally are true for our Belmont-specific community.”
The survey is voluntary and asks general questions regarding students’ individual experiences, if any, with sexual assault or unwanted contact on campus. It also includes questions related to relationship violence and bystander intervention, Grubb said.
Students may skip any question in the survey, and all responses are completely anonymous.
“The idea is that students who may wish to remain nameless will feel safe disclosing a sexual assault in this format,” Zlock said.
Grubb stressed the survey isn’t about delving unnecessarily into anyone’s personal experiences. Instead, it’s about learning if Belmont is a campus where people feel empowered to be active bystanders and also a campus where students feel comfortable talking to staff and faculty, she said.
Once the survey results come in, Zlock plans to use the data as a guideline for future Title IX policies, particularly in the planning of prevention and safety programs.
“It will also be useful in helping us ascertain if all the students know about and understand the resources we have that can help them if they are a victim of sexual assault,” said Zlock. “Furthermore, Belmont is committed to providing its students a safe and healthy community. This survey will help further that commitment.”