A new law requires all University of Minnesota students to complete sexual assault awareness training within their first 10 days of their first semester on campus.

The law, which took effect on August 1, also mandates options for online reporting of sexual assault, requires law enforcement and schools to cooperate during investigations and requires the school to report sexual assault statistics. Graduate and professional students, as well as transfer students, will have to finish any incomplete or unstated training sessions from previous years.

The training is a two-part, 10-section online training called Haven Plus.

The Aurora Center for Advocacy & Education Director Katie Eichele says the training is a good step, but schools need to do more if they are to reduce and prevent sexual assault on campus.

“It is one step to simply have one online training module but research says that won’t solve the problem,” says Eichele.

The Aurora Center paired with greek life, University Athletics, Housing and Residential Life and International Student Scholar Services to administer the online training.

Yvonne Cournoyer, prevention program manager at Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said one of the biggest changes in the new law is providing comprehensive training for campus security officers and administrators investigating assault cases. Security officers will hear presentations on sexual assault, neurobiological responses to trauma and how to respond to sexual assaults.

The school will be required to send statistical records of assaults to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education by October 1. The data will be made available to the public near early December.

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