Editor’s Note: This is the seventh installment in a series of articles addressing the state of sexual assault on campus.

Members of the Women’s Empowerment League walked into President Bill Perry’s office Wednesday with 650 signed petitions and a list of six demands regarding sexual assault policy at Eastern.

After meeting with the league, President Perry said all of the group’s objectives regarding sexual assault at Eastern can be achieved, given time.

The league’s demands include:

• Anonymous reporting for sexual assault needs to be a more precise experience and at the very least an option.

• The reporting process needs to be streamlined.

• A public forum concerning the issue of sexual assault needs to be held for all Eastern students, staff, faculty and community members.

• President Perry needs to make a public statement supporting sexual assault survivors.

• Training should be required for everyone involved in the reporting process of sexual assault.

• Eastern should hire a full-time paid advocate on campus for sexual assault survivors.

Jennifer Hindes, a former president of the league, said members of the group knew the solutions they proposed were not simple, but they were excited that all of their demands seemed plausible.

“We were asking a lot,” Hindes said. “Every demand had a reason for it to be difficult.”

She said the benefits of each demand and policy change far outweigh the difficulties of implementing them.

Perry said he was pleased with the outcome of the petition process and that Eastern’s administration will be able to enable actions to make the university better.

“I know that on any campus, sexual assault is an issue. It crosses all genders. We have to promote understanding and we have to enable individuals who are victims of sexual assault to let the university know what’s happened,” he said.

Perry said some of the demands will occur earlier than others but they are eager to get things moving. 

Though he will be out of town for the next few days he plans to make a public statement when he returns likely over email.

Other items, such as creating one number to call to report sexual assault, developing an additional training program, streamlining the online reporting process and creating an option for anonymous reporting will require additional consulting with various departments.

He said hiring a full-time advocate for sexual assault survivors will likely take a two to three month search process.

Hindes said the potential policy changes are a prime example of student activism. She said Eastern’s administrators listened to the league because they went into things educated and motivated.

She said while the league feels good after the meeting with Perry, they plan to keep a close eye on all of the demands and make sure the movement is still happening. Hindes said members of the league will not think they have won or succeeded until the policy changes are made.

“Now we just want to see (the changes) implemented,” she said. “We as students can make the changes we need to happen.”

Seth Schroeder can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].