Dear Students:

Sexual misconduct is prevalent in our society and the University of Illinois is not immune. We are working to improve the campus climate, so we asked you to tell us about your experiences in classrooms, residence halls, apartments, the library, bars, restaurants, and everywhere in the community.

By understanding what is happening and what you think about how the University will respond, we can better address this critical issue and ensure that you have the best experience possible as an Illinois student.

Here is what you told us:

• You tell your friends or family, not necessarily University authorities, of sexual misconduct, so we need to increase efforts to help you, your teachers, all our employees and your parents learn about the resources available to help, and we need to make sure you know that we are committed to supporting you.
• You understand that we will respect your privacy and keep reports of sexual misconduct confidential.
• You are fairly confident that the University will handle incidents appropriately. Programs such as First Year Campus Acquaintance Rape Education (FYCARE), ICARE Bystander Intervention, the We Care website and other promotional materials must be continued and enhanced.
• Although being under the influence of alcohol is not an excuse or reason for sexual misconduct, there is a relationship between the misuse of alcohol and sexual misconduct. We will use this information to help you better understand this relationship and the dangers of being under the influence of alcohol in certain settings.

We greatly appreciate the time many of you took to share your experiences. During the 2019 spring semester, 12,500 graduate and undergraduate students were invited to take part in a survey. Of those invited, 2,076 completed at least a portion of the survey and the respondents reflect current student demographics. I am committed to continuing this effort to understand the student experience around sexual misconduct and doing whatever I can to improve the climate on campus. We will hold focus groups to explore more ways to improve our response to survivors.

As the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, I am committed to garnering the resources of all departments to eliminate the problem of sexual misconduct on campus. The Chancellor, Provost, and all executives of the University share my dedication to this important mission. We need you to help us by looking out for each other, intervening when you see a potential problem and helping your friends and family find resources when they feel they have been the victim of sexual misconduct.

Detailed findings from the sexual misconduct survey are available at wecare.illinois.edu/reports.

Together, we can all make a difference,

Dr. Danita M. B. Young
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs