Julia Guidi
Equinox Staff
It can be easy to not pay attention to emails nowadays, with the never-ending flow that gets sent to our inboxes.
However, if someone is a student at Keene State College, there is a survey link in their email that they are going to want to pay attention to: the KSC Sexual Assault Survey.
Sexual violence prevention is always a current topic.
Many schools, institutions and colleges are always looking to better their resources on campus. Keene State is no different. KSC’s Sexual Assault Survey is currently circulating and is going to open major doors for resources and education on campus.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, which is what Kelli Jo Armstrong, Title IX investigator, informed me of.
This is one of the reasons the survey was pushed out to this time of year.
George Smeaton, Director of Institutional Research, added that they couldn’t push it out right at the beginning of the school year because freshmen need time to experience the atmosphere of campus before answering these questions.
Jeff Maher, Director of Campus Safety and Complaints, said that they are aiming for a three-year cycle because the last time they pushed out the survey was 2015.
The larger goal for this survey is essentially to understand the impact of KSC’s awareness programs on the students.
This was the overarching theme between all three interviewees. “Since the survey is anonymous, it helps to better gather research,” says Armstrong.
Another big part of the survey is programming. They want to see how programs like ‘‘No Zebras, No Excuses’’ are impacting students.
It is also important to take a look at what students will gain from taking this survey. Smeaton said, “Some of the questions will make students think more about the topic of sexual violence.
It will make them more aware. There’s something to asking a question that would make people think about things that they normally would not have thought about.”
A crucial part of a successful college campus is seeing how everybody grows through education. Maher also added that, “It will be a tool for continuous improvement.”
If anyone took one thing away from this survey, Armstrong wants them to know that: “There are resources and support for all KSC students. If a student has had these experiences, there are places they can go.”
Both Smeaton and Maher wanted to point out that they need a large number of students to take the survey and they need a diverse population of respondents.
They need people of all different experiences, genders and sexual orientations.
The survey is still open and is still able to be completed.
If completed, you can also get a code to receive 50 Hootie’s Rewards Points.
One of the mottos for this survey is “Be Heard.” Armstrong pointed out that, “The more students’ voices, the better [Title IX] can continue their work.”
It is also important to reiterate that the survey is completely anonymous.
If someone is not comfortable sharing their experience, no one has to know who the survey came from.
The survey can be filled out using this link: Kscsurvey.org.
For more infromation on No Zebras, No Excuses see “Acting to spread awareness” on page A7.
Julia Guidi can be contacted at
jguidi@kscequniox.com
