RESPECT: Advancing a Culture of Respect, Awareness, and Compassion

We are working to strengthen a culture of care and respect along with the foundational values we embrace as part of our land-grant heritage. We are taking actions that support and strengthen our commitment to our community—relationship violence and sexual misconduct are not tolerated at MSU.

• Campuswide Survey Assesses Campus Climate, Informs Decision-making

  In spring 2019, MSU launched the Know More @ MSU campus survey, the first campuswide survey focused on the culture, perceptions, and policies associated with relationship violence and sexual misconduct among students, faculty, and staff. Data from the survey will help inform and shape prevention programming, policy development, and resource allocation decisions on campus.

• Ethics and Compliance Program Provides Clear Behavioral Expectations

  A new Office of Audit, Risk, and Compliance was created to establish clear institutional lines of accountability for monitoring legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements. The responsibilities of the office include revising the university’s policies to provide clear ethical principles and behavioral expectations for all MSU employees, overseeing the development of a consistent ethics and compliance program, and creating a framework for identifying, prioritizing, and managing risk.

• Stronger Mandatory Reporting Requirements Implemented

  MSU strengthened its policy on mandatory reporting obligations as part of an annual review of the Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Title IX Policy. Employees who fail to report sexual assault allegations as required by the policy are subject to discipline up to, and including, termination.

• Employee Training Addresses RVSM Issues, Abuse Prevention, and Response

  All faculty, staff, and students are required to complete online RVSM training to learn how to identify situations, understand the impact of these issues on the campus community, and learn how to connect with support and resources when situations occur. In addition, training for MSU supervisors and administrators now includes information on prevention and response to harassment and discrimination, as well as new protocols for information sharing between campus units.

• New Resources Guide RVSM Communications

  Conversations about relationship violence and sexual misconduct are difficult. The terms used and the meaning they convey are very important. To help students, faculty, and staff use empowering and trauma-informed language, terms, and concepts, the RVSM Expert Advisory Workgroup partnered with Violence Free Communities to develop resource guides. In addition to providing recommendations on terminology, the guides include information on how to plan trauma-informed meetings and seek survivors’ feedback, as well as suggestions for how to work with survivors.

  • Resource Guide for Planning Trauma-informed Meetings
  • RVSM Communication Guidelines