The state of Virginia is exploring the creation of a regional center that could take sexual assault investigations out of the hands of colleges and universities.
Last month, Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic governor of Virginia, proposed a $240 million higher education spending plan. Included in the initiative is funding for a $100,000 study that would determine how to “design a pilot program to create a regional center for the investigation of incidents of sexual and gender-based violence similar to the multidisciplinary approach used in child advocacy centers.”
The center would be staffed with trauma-informed investigators who would coordinate with colleges and law enforcement officials alike to investigate cases of sexual violence that occur on college campuses. The study will explore the potential center’s expected costs, financial support and staffing needs, as well as create a sample memorandum of understanding for use between institutions, law enforcement and the state’s attorneys’ offices.
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/01/25/virginia-may-create-regional-center-investigating-sexual-assaults