‘Press Herald’ interviews Mark Nahorney and Don Clark on new federal recommendations for preventing and dealing with sexual assaults on campus
Mark Nahorney, dean of students, and Don Clark, director of Safety and Security, were both quoted in an April 30th article in the Portland Press Herald, which discusses Maine colleges’ implementation of federal guidelines on deterring sexual assault and providing victims with support.
“From what I’m reading, we’re really on target,” Nahorney said. “But this isn’t something we take for granted. Some of this is about being vigilant.”
President Barack Obama created a task force after his administration heard complaints about the hidden nature of campus sexual assaults and the poor treatment of rape victims on college campuses. The task force released recommendations on April 29th.
Nahorney explained the efforts made by UNE in recent years to address the problem, noting that the university “gives online and PowerPoint presentations to students on sexual harassment, assaults and tips on how to intervene as a ‘bystander’ in certain situations. Students have access to confidential on-campus and off-campus counseling services, are encouraged to report a sexual assault to local police if they wish, and are assigned a trained campus employee to act as their advocate for any meetings or hearings.”
As Clark put it, UNE “put[s] the victim in the driver’s seat.”