The 2014-2015 academic year concluded a busy year for Colorado College’s Wellness Center and the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC). This time was filled with climate surveys, a myriad of fun and educational programs, and an abundance of student feedback.
Coming into this school year, however, Colorado College was not prepared for losing beloved SARC Tara Misra, a staff member who had earned credibility as well as likeability among students.
Although the Wellness Center and other programs plan to continue what they started with Misra, they see that their plans may be delayed as a consequence.
Fellow staff members Gail Murphy-Geiss, Associate Professor of Sociology and Title IX Coordinator, and Heather Horton, Director of the Wellness Resource Center, are excited for Misra, but they acknowledge that there is no way to replace her in the short term.
However, Pam Shipp, CC Alum and counselor at Boettcher Heath Center, has stepped in for the interim position. Due to her experience with CC, sexual assault, and trauma, many believe that she is well beyond prepared for this position.
Shipp volunteered to be on-call as well as to deal with emergencies and work with Horton and Murphy-Geiss for programming.
“She was willing to be on-call so that we can maintain what we thought was a high-level program so we don’t fall back too far, but it’s inevitable,” said Murphy-Geiss. “Without a full-time SARC who is loved and trusted, it’s not going to be the same for the first semester. However, we’ve begun planning a search for this semester.”
Ideally, the new SARC will begin on Jan. 1. Both students and faculty will be part of the search committee.
“A key thing though certainly is that, in terms of the response and advocacy piece, that is definitely in place,” said Murphy-Geiss. “There’s not a change in terms of what is being offered and students at CC have already engaged with Pam and know her so she’s not an unknown entity.” Despite the fact that having a new face in such a powerful position could be detrimental, Horton sees this as an exciting time nonetheless for sexual health and continuing the difficult conversations that the White House Climate Survey sparked.
Last semester, CC made a modified version of the White House Climate Survey. The anonymous survey reached out to students to inquire about sexual safety, how they felt about CC’s procedural policies, and many more questions pertaining to sexual assault and Title IX. The survey had over 1,000 responses.
“There’s this wonderful opportunity for students to be engaged in the process,” said Horton. “As it has been in the past, there will be students on the search, there will be an open session for students for hopefully lots of students to meet candidates and attend their presentations.”
Murphy-Geiss echoes her strong regards toward student input in this search.
“In the past two searches, for Tara who was the last SARC and Heather who was the SARC before her, it was the students’ voices that really carried the candidates and I plan on that being the same this time,” said Murphy-Geiss.
Murphy-Geiss and Horton, alongside Rochelle Mason, are spearheading the search for the new SARC.
“One of the things that I think is pretty exciting about the moment that we’re in is that it feels like there’s increased student energy around sexual assault, intimate partner bounds, and all kinds of things,” said Horton. “I think with all of the stuff that we’re planning for the year, what an exciting time for students to be really engaged and to be talking about those things that we want to address from the survey.”