I’m not sure the President of the United States holds a lot of cards when it comes to the administration of universities, but Clinton is certainly going to try:
“As president, I’ll fight to make sure every campus offers every survivor the support she needs and will make sure those services are comprehensive, confidential and coordinated,” she said, adding that sexual assault survivors include men and the transgender community.
“Rape is a crime wherever it happens and schools have an obligation. I think it’s both a legal obligation and a moral obligation, to protect every student’s right to get an education free from discrimination, free from fear.”
That legal obligation falls under Title IX, which protects against sex discrimination in all federally-funded education programs, as well as the Clery Act, which mandates crime reporting and certain resources for survivors.
Noting a recent Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation poll that found that one in five women reported being sexually assaulted during college, Clinton outlined the need to shore up services for survivors as well as bolster “prevention efforts to change attitudes associated with violence.” She said that the issue “is a lot bigger than a single conversation at freshman orientation” while praising the work of those working to address the problem. One of the improvements Clinton hopes to make involves “strengthening the disciplinary process for both the accuser and the accused”. I don’t know that means exactly.