Recent changes were made to the training program that students, staff and faculty are required to take. The new program, Haven Plus, was designed to create a safer campus environment.
“We want to make sure that every person in the UIndy community is on the same page in terms of Title IX, sexual assault, sexual violence and sexual harassment,” said Vice President for Student and Campus Affairs and Dean of Students Kory Vitangeli.
“We want to make sure it’s very clear across campus,” Vitangeli said.
A special committee dedicated to researching new programs decided the switch to Haven Plus, a partner with EverFi, according to Vitangeli.
“Last year, we had two different systems—one for students and one for faculty and staff,” Vitangeli said. “We used a system called ‘SafeColleges’ for faculty and staff and ‘MyStudentBody’ for students.”
The committee was looking for a system that would educate the whole campus community, and after reviewing many systems, Haven Plus was their final choice.
The University of Indianapolis is not the only university to provide Title IX training. According to Vitangeli, there is a federal mandate that colleges and universities must educate their campus community about Title IX.
First-year students are required to take the four sets of the training, while all other students are required to take just the final two sets. The first set must be completed by Oct. 12.
Junior chemistry major Sam Crowell believes the training should not be mandatory for those who have done the MyStudentBody Title IX training.
“I feel that this testing is redundant,” Crowell said. “I remember doing something like it my first year, as a freshman. When we first got here, we had to do all of this alcohol and sexual violence tests, and it just seems like we are redoing it, and nothing new has come out of it.”
According to Vitangeli, when she gets complaints from students, she says, “I’m taking this as well. We are all doing it together.”
When students first begin the training, Vitangeli said, numbers tend to go up in reporting of all kinds.
“College campuses have found that once you start educating on these things, more people come forward for support and resources because they recognize that ‘Oh, wow, I shouldn’t be treated like this,’” Vitangeli said. “Long term, of course, you’re looking for a decrease in instances. But when you first start educating people, you see more people coming forward.”
Freshman sports management major Chandler Cousins said he supports the program, but he does not know how successful it will be.
“I think students will learn, but there are always exceptions,” Cousins said. “I think most cases, it will open an eye or two and show them that this is pretty dangerous.”
Vitangeli hopes that students can look at the bigger picture in regard to the Haven Plus training.
“I would hope that beyond just not wanting to do something, that they look at the bigger picture,” Vitangeli said. “This is a commitment the campus has made to make sure that all faculty and students are educated on these really important societal issues and that you understand what it means to be a part of the UIndy community. I would hope people would step back and say, ‘Okay, I get that this is for the greater good of our students.’”
