UW-Madison is one of 55 universities that have made efforts over the last three years to address the issue of sexual assault on campus by taking part in a study by the Association of American Universities. AAU released a new report Wednesday that showed UW-Madison has made progress in combatting sexual assault.
The new report is a follow-up on a 2015 survey of college students that found high rates of sexual assault on campuses and low rates of reported incidents, due to factors including shame and worries that the case would not be taken seriously.
Universities participating in the AAU study have since increased the number of staff members, intensified training for staff and developed programs to help combat the issue, according to the study.
A brief issued by UW-Madison highlighted the changes the university has made as a result of the study. These changes include the addition of three staff members to the Violence Prevention and Survivor Services Unit on campus and the requirement that all first-year and transfer students attend an in-person violence prevention workshop to supplement the online Tonight program, which has been required since 2014.
