Stanford University this fall will start a three-year pilot program to test a change in policy that calls for students to be expelled if they are found to have committed sexual assault.
It is a bold move for the university, but one many students felt should have been already in place. The change makes Stanford one of the few campuses to move forward with a policy to expel students over sexual assault.
"Kind of a reflection of our values and also a result of our fair process," said Benjy Mercer-Golden, who served on a university task force to create the new policy.
The 18-member task force, made up of administration, faculty and students released their recommendations Wednesday.
The recommendations call for more education for students on sexual assault, a streamlined investigative process and resources for victims.
In addition, the recommendations push for a change in policy to expel students who are found responsible of sexual assault. A three-member university panel could vote to expel the student even if that student was not convicted in federal court.
"Certainly I think there's precedent for this and I think over the next two to three years there's going to be big changes happening across the country," Mercer-Golden said.
Local
Some students were surprised the policy took so long to change.
"I had thought it was in place in years past and then I think it really blew up this past spring with a case that became a poster child case for the entire university," said Amelia Farber, a senior student at Stanford.
Farber is referring to Leah Francis, who said she was sexually assaulted by another student while both of them were back home over a school break. Students protested when the university suspended that student for five quarters.
"I want to know that no survivor at Stanford will be treated the way I was treated," Francis said.
Soon after, Stanford was added to a list of about 100 schools across the country under federal investigation for how it handles sexual assault cases.
Since 2005, nine students at Stanford have been convicted of sexual assault -- one was expelled.
Once the three-year pilot is complete, the university will decide on extending the change in policy.
"It's something that's very practical and I think it makes a lot of people safe," Farber said.
