Houghton, MI – (Great Lakes Radio News) – Officials at Michigan Tech in Houghton say a student survey has produced interesting responses about sexual assault and misconduct on campus.
The survey was distributed in April to all enrolled students 18 and over.
The majority of respondents said they feel safe on campus, and believe student safety is a University priority.
However, Beth Lunde, Michigan Tech’s Title IX coordinator, says of those who did report an unwanted sexual experience on campus, the majority said they told someone else, such as a friend or roommate and far fewer reported the incident to authorities.
Most students who responded said they did not want to get the person responsible in trouble, felt it was a private matter and wanted to deal with it on their own.
A significant number also said they felt embarrassed or ashamed.
Lunde says it is clear the students generally feel safe on Tech’s campus and will ‘speak up’ to assist a fellow student.
She added that while the results are encouraging, it can be misleading in regard to the issue of sexual misconduct.
