As Rowan University begins the academic year with the largest freshman class in history, sexual assault, and consent violations have already been recorded. 

Within the first week of college students being back on campus, two reports, one of fondling and the other of drink spiking, were made known to university officials. Both reportedly occurred in unidentified residence halls.

The fondling incident, defined as intentional sexual touching without consent, was reported to have occurred in the early morning hours of Sept. 2 and was reported to the Rowan University Police Department three days later by a third-party campus official. 

The drink spiking occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 and was reported to the police one week later by the student victim. 

Students and faculty were alerted to both incidents via Timely Warnings.

Currently Rowan, like all other universities in the country, is in the Red Zone–the period in the school year between August or September and Thanksgiving break when over 50% of on-campus sexual assaults happen. 

During this time of already heightened risk of student sexual assault, freshmen and transfer students are the most at risk of abuse due to the lack of established community and unfamiliarity within their new environment. 

With the largest freshman class in history entering the college community this semester, there are more students at increased risk than ever before. 

Due to this, authorities and health officials around Rowan are preparing for this school year with increased security measures, new counseling and support programs, and further prevention tactics.

Rachel Baum is the Lt. Commander for the Rowan University Police Department. She says that police increase patrols during peak hours of activity like Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, as well as more security around Holly Pointe Commons, the freshman dormitory, from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. every night. 

“The Rowan University Police Department is committed to supporting survivors of sexual assault.  Reporting an assault to our department does not commit the survivor to pressing criminal charges, but it allows us to present all options so that an informed decision can be made,” said Baum. 

Baum also stated that the Community Policing Unit is open to aiding in educational programs about consent and prevention of sexual violence by Residence Life or any of the campus’s student organizations. 

In the event an assault happens in spite of the added security, Rowan’s Wellness Center has a variety of resources for survivors and victims of sexually based offenses.

This year, one of those resources included an event during Welcome Week, where kits including informational resources, drink covers, fentanyl testing strips, and Narcan were given out to new students. All of these could aid in preventing drink spiking, or any situation where substances could be used to take advantage of a victim. 

Like Public Safety, The Wellness Center offers reporting resources for students who face sexual violence or consent violations of any kind. In addition to this, students also have access to free counseling services through the Center. 

This year, the Center will start offering a trauma group for anyone who has experienced a traumatic event of any kind to provide support and a sense of community to anyone who is struggling. 

Another aspect of prevention is community intervention.

Amy Hoch, PsyD, is the associate director of The Wellness Center. She works to educate freshmen on their own risks but also believes that upperclassmen can look out for the new students and speak up when they feel someone is at risk of being taken advantage of. 

“I hope that this is a community that makes it harder for a perpetrator to actually be able to either follow through with an act… whether it’s by reporting to an authority that can then take it forward. I think then we all make each other, make the community safer for everybody, and, I think we feel more agency around this issue… to have an education that is free from sexual assault, harassment, gender discrimination… I think we educate this whole community about that, then I think we make it harder for perpetrators to actually do what they try to do,” said Hoch. 

Besides Rowan’s police department and The Wellness Center, Rowan also has its own chapter of It’s On Us, a student organization that aims to prevent sexual assault, educate students and faculty on the issue, and provide support and a sense of community to survivors of gender-based or sexual violence. 

It’s On Us also recommends students go to the Title IX office and the Office of Student Equity and Compliance, as those offices can assist survivors with academic or housing needs, and the need to switch classes or move dorms after an assault, if necessary. 

This year, It’s On Us plans to make informational social media posts and hold events to raise awareness about the red zone and other issues of sexual violence, including further reporting resources. 

They hope to have updated fridge magnets made that give students all the information needed to file reports with a simple QR code. 

Erwin Wambi is in charge of special operations for the organization.

“I feel like most of these things are not fully absorbed by new incoming freshmen. New incoming freshmen are expecting more of a new start over, and they don’t think about this new environment,” said Wambi. 

Both survivors and those who have never experienced abuse are welcome to join the group.

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