Because students living on campus commonly interact with Resident Advisors (RAs) and Resident Mentors (RMs), they are typically the first contacts a survivor has during the process of a crime such as sexual assault. RAs, as well as other officials who work heavily with students, work hand in hand with campus law enforcement to ensure the safety and well-being of these survivors.
Major Ian Kendrick of NC State Police, the commander of Support Services, spoke about the role RAs play as Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) and how they are typically the first support system a survivor can encounter during the reporting process of sexual assault.
“As [CSAs], if a student or somebody else discloses to them that they are the victim of any crime, specifically sexual assault or sexual harassment, dating violence or relationship violence, that [CSA] is required to report to the police department,” Kendrick said.
A CSA is a title held by members of the NC State community who work with students closely to prioritize their safety and comfort. All CSAs complete training sessions, either in person or online, that are conducted by Campus Police.
The requirement of having CSAs on public college campuses is part of a federal consumer protection law, The Clery Act, that was passed in 1990. It requires that a university publishes crime statistics, security policies and safety information to the public. A CSA, such as an RA or RM, is federally mandated by the Clery Act to report a crime to Campus Police when it is disclosed to them.
For this reason, RAs and RMs are required to report the occurrence of sexual assault to campus police if a resident informs them of an incident. According to Kendrick, RAs and RMs can also help refer survivors to other on-campus resources such as the Counseling Center, Women’s Center or GLBT Center to provide further support.
After a report has been made by the CSA, campus law enforcement will write a criminal report and investigate the act.
“We are likely to make contact with the suspect,” Kendrick said. “Get his or her side of the story, maybe talk to any witnesses if they are disclosed to us or if we find out of any witnesses, and try and get some third-party insight into what transpired.”
Kendrick said that the role of an RA partly exists to create a positive environment in which students can disclose concerns or incidents that have happened to them, such as sexual assault.
Barry Olson, associate vice chancellor of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA), said that when a survivor chooses to report an incident, they have the opportunity to maintain anonymity during the process.
“We give you the right as the student to say, ‘I’d rather it be anonymous,’” Olson said. “Students do have some level of control over how they share that information, but as a responsible employee, our folks have to take a report.”
As the report is further investigated, campus law enforcement will take precautions to ensure the survivor is in a more comfortable state by investigating the perpetrator, if a name is given, on a university level without pressing legal charges. This ensures that a student remains as anonymous as possible.
“The report is accepted; however, the student’s name isn’t necessarily shared if the police say that it shouldn’t be shared,” Olson said. “It would be shared in a general fashion: ‘A female student in my building shared a concern.’”
RAs specifically are required to attend training sessions held by the police at the beginning of each semester to further help them aid sexual assault survivors when an assault is reported to them.
“Our staff goes through Title IX training, they go through counseling training [and] they go through all those different layers to better understand the human condition,” Olson said. “They spend two solid weeks training and learning.”
Olsen said that campus law enforcement and University Housing encourage students to remember that RAs and RMs are resources who can aid survivors of sexual assault through the reporting and recovery process.
Students who are interested in learning more about resources available to survivors can visit the DASA website.
