The 2015 New York state budget includes a proposal to address the issue of on-campus sexual assault. The legislation would expand the State University of New York system’s recently expanded sexual assault policies to all universities. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his “Enough is Enough” campaign on Wednesday in order to advocate for this much discussed legislation, which includes a statewide hotline, website and educational materials. As of Jan. 7, New York had the highest number colleges with pending Title IX sexual violence violations of any state — 11 total at eight private colleges and three public. If passed with the budget this March, this progressive legislation will make New York the first state with government standards for the handling of sexual assault cases, and represent a positive shift in the handling of these crimes.

The proposal outlines many different policies for combating sexual assault, including a statewide definition of affirmative consent, an amnesty policy to ensure that students who report sexual violence cannot be punished for related drug or alcohol infractions and provisions for the distribution of a “bill of rights” for victims of sexual assault. It also includes critical comprehensive education and prevention training for students and staff. In addition, New York State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico introduced a 24-hour hotline at 1-844-845-7269 exclusively for reporting sexual assaults on college campuses. Only through increased education and awareness will the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses begin
to decline.

NYU’s recently updated policy on sexual assault has a lot in common with this commendable statewide campaign. It not only provides students with support when an assault occurs, but also in instances of intimate partner violence and stalking. One of the core aspects of Cuomo’s plan is a dedicated hotline, and the NYU Wellness Exchange already provides students with a 24-hour confidential outlet to speak to a counsellor. On Jan. 26th, President John Sexton reiterated via e-mail that a mandatory online educational program would roll out later this semester. Cuomo’s campaign will standardize similar sexual assault prevention policies across New York state college campuses, and provide educational materials to smaller schools that may lack resources to develop
their own.

“New York must take a stand to combat the culture of sexual violence in higher education,” Cuomo said. “This is a call to action for everyone who believes students should be protected by their college or university.” The willingness of the state government to directly approach these difficult issues is admirable, especially given the surprising politically contentious nature of sexual assault legislation. Other state governments should heed his call to action and replicate this type of legislation in order to eradicate sexual assault on college campuses.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, March 2 print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at [email protected].