Impassioned students, faculty and staff spoke out at a packed University Senate forum Wednesday on ways to improve prevention and response to sexual violence at the University of Oregon.

The senate called the forum to help develop a resolution for a senate task force to address sexual violence in the wake of an allegation of sexual assault against three basketball players. 

Senate President Robert Kyr read a draft resolution written by Sen. Michael Dreiling with input from others senators over the past week. In a statement, Dreiling quoted UO President Michael Gottfredson’s remarks to the senate last week, when the president spoke about “owning” the issue and not being bystanders to sexual violence, harassment and intimidation.

 “We are going to own the mistakes, own the oversights, own the slow process and own the deliberations that we have made,” said Dreiling.

Several students and faculty spoke out about experiencing sexual harassment and their frustrations with the slow pace of change.

Student Jeromy Headland said he felt stonewalled while trying to advocate for a requirement for a multicultural class for all students. The call for the university to require such a class was a common theme among the students who spoke.

“The president said I have to go to the senate, and the senate says I have to go to the committee. If you, the senate, think this is a good idea you can do it,” said Headland.

Kyr and others encouraged the student to talk to a student senator to make a motion for change. Sen. Randy Sullivan echoed earlier sentiments that the University Senate must harness the current momentum to make long-term change, not just quick-fix motions.

“I would like to apologize to the students of the University of Oregon,” Sullivan said. “From where I stand, we have failed you. We have not been proactive to work with you and the administration and give your safety the very high priority it deserves.  We hope to work to change that.”

Several members of the UO Coalition to End Sexual Violence called for swift and certain action to end what they call a culture of violence on campus. Professor Carole Stabile, director of the Center for the Study of Women in Society, said, “We need an investigation that is fully independent.”

President Gottfredson has called for an independent external panel to proactively review the university’s practices.

Psychology professor Jennifer Freyd and graduate student Carly Smith talked about their long-term research about institutional response to sexual violence and the expertise they can provide in making change to the campus culture.

The variety of comments at the forum reflects the multiple perspectives and conflicting points of view that have surfaced about responding to the topic. People in the audience talked about issues they believe contribute to and complicate efforts to respond to sexual violence, including alcohol, youth, athletics, power and gender issues.

One student, ASUO Sen. Amy Jones, also cautioned everyone weighing in and the senators drafting the response to ask themselves if the survivor of the recent incident wants to be a figurehead for the senate resolution and if she wants the national media attention that is focused on this incident.

Sen. John Bonine also shared several changes he would like made immediately to the student code of conduct. The changes include a recommendation forwarded by the administration to expand the university’s jurisdiction for applying the code of conduct to off-campus incidents. He encouraged people to read his proposed changes, which will be voted on by the senate at its May 28 meeting.

Sandy Weintraub, director of student conduct and community standards in student affairs, urged Bonine to work with his office and with students in a non-adversarial way.

“I want to caution a rush on this many sections of the code without collaboration with the office whose job it is to execute this process,” Weintraub said. “I care deeply about this issue. I want to make sure any changes that are made actually work.”

Abigail Leeder, director of sexual violence prevention and education in student affairs, stood and made an emotional plea to the crowd to acknowledge the extraordinary work of the people whose jobs it is to respond to survivors at 3 in the morning.

“I really think is all of our responsibility, and I really can’t do it alone,” Leeder said. “I really want those of us who understand the systems from the inside to work with the people doing the research to find the way that we can actually become a model. I think it is possible. There are enough passionate people on this campus, but we really need to come together as opposed to pointing fingers about who did what and why.”

She added, “I want you all to continue to care.”

The senate’s next meeting is Wednesday, May 28, at 3 p.m. in 115 Lawrence.