The University opened a second round of online training for students on sexual misconduct prevention last week in a Jan. 6 email from Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon. The first round took place from Aug. 18 to Aug. 27.

McMahon wrote in the email that the training, provided via the online service GetInclusive, will be open for all students who did not undergo training earlier in the semester. Returning students received an email with a link to the program on Aug. 18. The University instituted the training program to comply with the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act.

In her Jan. 6 email, McMahon wrote, “Brandeis is committed to preventing and addressing issues of sexual misconduct on our campus. We know this is an issue that can be understandably difficult for many people and that is to be expected.”

She also touched on the results of April’s campus climate survey on sexual assault, which were released in October. “Among the findings, we learned that many of our students don’t know where to go for help or to report experiences of sexual misconduct,” she wrote. “Given the prevalence of sexual misconduct on our campus, we’re very concerned about this issue and want to make sure that all of our students have some basic information about sexual misconduct prevention.”

According to an Oct. 13 Justice article, the survey results released in the report showed that 54.5 percent of undergraduates who experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault told someone about it, 3.7 percent formally reported it to the University, and only 38.2 percent of respondents said they knew where to go to report sexual assault. Upon the release of the report, Interim University President Lisa Lynch wrote in an Oct. 8 email to the community, “The results of the survey are deeply troubling. … While this is an issue facing our society as a whole, as institutions of higher education we have a special responsibility to set the standard for responding to and supporting those who have experienced sexual misconduct.”

McMahon could not be reached for comment by press time.

—Abby Patkin