Oregon State is altering its transfer policy in hopes of disallowing serial rapists.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Oregon State University is altering its transfer policy in hopes of disallowing serial rapists.
Any prospective transfer student that is not allowed to return to his or her original institution would be barred from attending OSU.
“We are committed to combatting sexual violence in society and to improving safety on the Oregon State University campus,” OSU President Ed Ray said in a news release. “This is an important step to strengthen the university’s admission policies for transfer students related to conduct that is not consistent with creating a safe and inclusive community at Oregon State.”
Ray said he’s sharing the new policy with all Pac-12 universities in hopes they’ll adopt similar transfer rules.
The new rule won’t affect students who are ineligible at other universities because of academic reasons. Those students can still apply to OSU and receive acceptance if they meet minimum academic requirements.
(READ MORE: OPB)
The move is an extension of an existing policy. The new rule requires transfer students to provide full disclosure.
First-year OSU students will be required to take AlcoholEdu, which is designed to help students make better choices about alcohol and drug use. OSU also requires new students to take a sexual violence prevention course called HAVEN to comply with the federal Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act that went into effect in March 2014. The course teaches students about sexual assault, consent and how to be an “active bystander.”
OSU’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is requiring both programs for all its athletes. OSU’s new guidelines apply to all transfer students, officials say, and are not aimed at student-athletes.
(READ MORE: Portland Tribune)
