A rape was reported to University Police on Sept. 12. According to University Police Chief John Rossi, the crime took place on Sept. 8. The rape was characterized as third degree. Neither the residents of Hart Hall nor students of Oswego State received any notification of the incident. It was not seen as a threat to public safety.

Student Association recognized the events of Sept. 8 as a “sexual assault worthy of student notification” during the senate meeting on Sept. 27.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act allow campus administration to make a general decision on whether a crime is severe enough to be a concern for students in order to notify them of an incident.

A resolution has been written by SA senators which states, “students have the right to determine whether or not a criminal event should incite them to enact additional precautions regarding themselves, their property, and their residence halls.”

Kellsie Zacholl, an Oswego State student, said she thinks this resolution is necessary.

 “We should find out about what is going on around campus because that could have happened and still can happen to anyone,” Zacholl said. “We should be able to take precautions so that we can stop it from happening.”

Many residents from Hart Hall signed the resolution to express their concern about not being informed of what happened in their building. The resolution was sent to the senate where the senators who represent all students across campus voted on it. All senators agreed with the resolution and it will be sent to Oswego State President Deborah Stanley and Lisa Evaneski, the Title IX co-coordinator.  

The Sexual Crime Notification resolved, “Student Association at the State University of New York at Oswego urges administration to notify all students via campus-wide email of any sexual crimes regardless of degree or perceived threat that happen on the SUNY Oswego campus.”

According to Eusebio Van Reenen, the senator of Hart Hall, “All senators present felt that their constituents feel the same way about the objectives in the resolution, thus they unanimously voted to pass it.”

If the resolution is approved by Stanley, students will be notified of any sexual assault incident on campus whether or not the administration sees the incident as a threat to the campus community. 

Administration was unable to comment before the publication date.