Just in time for Women’s History Month, the Louisiana Board of Regents approved a uniform sexual misconduct policy that will stretch across the state. This policy will require law enforcement and health organizations to help address incidents that occur on campuses. 
This policy will not only increase the influence of the police force and health organizations on this issue, but it also calls for each school to offer sexual assault education and prevention programs to students.
“The purpose of the policy was to make sure all public universities within Louisiana are operating under the same understanding of how institutions within Louisiana should be responding to reports of sexual violence on campus,” explained Matthew Gregory, LSU Associate Dean of Students & Director of the Student Advocacy and Accountability Office.
LSU had already taken steps toward more security before this policy came into effect through women’s self-defense classes, the “My Student Body” training module, and the “LSU Shield” smartphone app. Mass Communication Major Ellen Farmer agrees that it is time for a policy like this to be implemented across the state.
“I think now that there’s a universal law and rule I think it’s gonna be really helpful,” Farmer said. “Especially that it’s gonna be a statewide regulation because people will know there’s no gray area.”
Many who have studied sexual misconduct issues on college campuses find that the colleges with a lower number of reported issues are actually more concerning than those that report many. The lower number brings into question the effectiveness of the school’s policy.
Because many students are afraid to bring in their concerns, colleges in Louisiana will enforce protection against retaliation for any person who brings in a complaint regarding sexual misconduct.
“If you let it go by without reporting people, I think that it can be a problem for people down the road,” Farmer said. 
Although this policy may not solve the problem of sexual misconduct completely, bringing all Louisiana colleges up to the same level of safety is the first step toward a larger goal. 
If you ever have any concerns regarding sexual misconduct on campus or any ideas about ways in which LSU can make the campus safer, visit the offices in the Student Union or the Student Health Center.
Also, if you would like to take a self-defense course from LSU, the next session is March 27-29, and you can register online.