In 2011 Congress passed the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act or the SaVE Act. The SaVe Act requires colleges to report any incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Madison College has seen a number of reports over the years. To help those numbers go down, the college is providing all faculty, staff, students, and vendors with education and training to create a climate of respect and that is safe and secure for the whole community. The training consists of a series of online videos and the ability to provide feedback.

“Madison College is committed to fostering a healthy campus climate that is conductive to teaching and learning,” Senior Vice President, Keith Cornille said. Cornille, as well as the rest of Madison College staff, want to see those numbers go down.

Research indicates that one-third of female college students and one-fifth of male college students will have a friend tell them about experiencing sexual assault. As a victim or bystander there are three steps to reporting an incident of sexual misconduct.

• First, ensure the person involved is cared for. Provide the person with non-judgmental support and ensure that she/he is safe. If there is immediate danger to the individual call 911 or Madison College Public Safety at (608) 245-2222.
• Second, connect the individual with college Counseling Services or the Dean of Students Office.
• And third, contact the Title IX Coordinator – At the earliest possible time (no later than 24 hours) after the disclosure to report the incident at (608) 246-6076.

As soon as the incident is reported to Cornille’s office, an investigation will be conducted and precautionary steps can be taken to ensure the safety of not only the party involved, but the rest of the students at Madison College.

Along with Cornille, Geraldo VilaCruz and Rosemary Buschhaus are involved with the college’s program. They all want more students to complete the video training and become familiar with all the resources available and the college’s policies. More information can be found at madisoncollege.edu/title-IX-sexual-misconduct.