UVA President Vows Reforms to Campus Safety, Alcohol Abuse, Fraternities, Assault

December 10, 2014
  • Industry News

After one of its most tumultuous fall terms in memory, the University of Virginia is plunging ahead with plans to beef up campus safety, rein in alcohol abuse, reform its fraternity culture and prevent sexual assault.

U-Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan said Tuesday that the university plans to hire more counselors to help students deal with, among other issues, grief after the death of classmate Hannah Graham and trauma they may be feeling about sexual assault. It plans to revise its written agreements with fraternal organizations to ensure that safety becomes a high priority.

In the spring term, the university plans to deploy uniformed "ambassadors" around and near the campus to help escort students home or provide other help on weekends when needed, an idea taken from the University of Pennsylvania. And it plans to team with Charlottesville police to open a substation near the hangout area known as the Corner.

"When you have more officers and more eyes and ears there, it can help with all kinds of difficult situations," Sullivan said.

Read more at The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-president-vows-reforms-to-campus-safety-alcohol-abuse-fraternities-assault/2014/12/09/959c3bf0-7fe6-11e4-81fd-8c4814dfa9d7_story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines&wpmm=1