Policy on Violence sets climate for campus

It is the policy of BGSU that acts of violence, threats of violence, or intimidation will not be tolerated. BGSU recognizes the importance of providing a safe environment for all its members. In this community, victims/survivors will be treated with dignity and respect. Any persons found in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action. Violators may also be subject to criminal prosecution. —BGSU Policy on Violence

The board of trustees adopted the above Policy on Violence at the June 19 meeting. The board’s vote makes the policy part of the Academic Charter and thus applicable to the entire campus.

“Adopting this policy is an important step we must take,” said trustee Leon Bibb in introducing the motion to the board.
The policy statement is the culmination of a year’s work on the part of the University’s Policy on Violence Committee and extensive participation by all campus constituent groups, which all supported having a policy on violence. In addition to adopting the core policy, classified and administrative staff councils and Graduate Student Senate also adopted expanded statements which specify definitions and resources the University makes available to address violence on the campus. Leadership and support for the policy also came from the president and Cabinet.

A $400,000 grant BGSU received in 2000 from the Department of Justice to fund the Transformation Project stipulated in part that “campus leadership should convey the message that domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking are serious crimes that will not be tolerated on campus.”

Michelle Clossick, chair of the committee and coordinator for the Transformation Project, said the policy sends a message that violence will not be tolerated in our community and that each member of the community can be a part of preventing threats and intimidation from turning into violence.

“There isn’t a campus that is immune to violence. It can happen anywhere,” Clossick said, adding that it is the hope of the committee that the policy will help to “create a safer and more livable community for everyone who lives and works here.”

Rebecca Ferguson, assistant vice president for human resources and a member of the committee, noted that, from an employment point of view, having the policy against violence clearly visible on the Web site shows that BGSU is “not a place that just talks it, but is a place that walks it.”

Next fall, human resources plans to begin employee education regarding the policy, and it will be included in training for incoming and newly promoted faculty and staff, Ferguson said.

In crafting the policy, it was important to combine both advocacy and enforceability, Clossick said. The wording of the policy is designed to give the University discretion to respond to acts of violence in a meaningful way, she noted.

The membership of the committee was also important to the success of creating a policy that works campus-wide, both Clossick and Ferguson said. The 17 representatives came from all constituent groups and included members who specialize in dealing with sexual assault and relationship violence. After the policy was written, it was presented to each constituent group for feedback and revisions were made.

“The committee was a phenomenal group. To work out something like this in less than a year is very unusual and speaks to each member’s dedication,’ Ferguson said.

Ferguson said that the way in which the policy was created, from the “bottom up” rather than the top down, “ties right into the core values of the University.”