State Recognizes University of Findlay’s “Changing Campus Culture” Efforts

University of Findlay was recognized by the Ohio Department of Higher Education ODHE) as they were one of 36 Ohio campuses to fulfill all five of ODHE’s recommendations regarding the Changing Campus Culture initiative. As part of the initiative, Ohio campuses were charged with implementing five recommendations aimed at preventing and better responding to sexual violence.

For nearly eight years, the ODHE Changing Campus Culture initiative has worked closely with campus and community partners to provide access to high-quality training and resources that promote best practices. Data collected over these past years has shown that strong leadership and allocation of resources is needed to support collective efforts to make institutions safe. Eighty-seven Ohio campuses submitted an annual report, but less than half of them successfully completed all five recommendations.

The five recommendations aimed at preventing and responding to sexual violence stated in the Changing Campus Culture report are

• Use data to guide action – specifically, an annual campus climate survey
• Empower staff, faculty, campus law enforcement, and students to prevent and respond to sexual violence through evidence-based trainings
• Communicate a culture of shared respect and responsibility
• Develop a comprehensive response protocol
• Adopt a survivor-centered response

The University has a track record of supporting efforts aimed at changing campus culture. Earlier this year, University of Findlay was selected as one of five institutions charged with collecting data on Title IX issues including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and discrimination. The project, Taking Bold Action initiative, is another one of ODHE’s efforts to decrease the number of sexual misconduct cases on college campuses. These efforts have been shown to improve student success and increase equity by eliminating certain types of risk factors on campus.