The NCAA is doing what it can to educate administrators, coaches and athletes on issues of sexual violence, and a new policy is part of that effort.
According to the new policy adopted Tuesday, the leaders of each school -- president, athletic director and Title IX coordinator -- must attest that their student-athletics, coaches and administrators have been educated on sexual violence prevention and how to achieve positive culture change on campus.
Leaders of each institution will be asked to affirm that its athletic department's members participate in and are compliant in sexual violence policies on an annual basis, and that Title IX polices and contact information for leaders is readily available to students, administrators and coaches on campus. The new policy is geared toward examining issues associated with sexual violence, enhance prevention efforts and makes campuses safer around the country.
Schools that don't attest to the requests will be known to the public. All schools in compliance with the policy will be included in the NCAA's annual report to the Board of Governors.
The new policy was recommended by the Commission to Combat Sexual Violence -- a 26-person panel created last year that includes Stanford head football coach David Shaw, Oklahoma director of athletics Joe Castiglione, rape survivor and human rights activist Brenda Tracy, and administrators and student-athletes from across the country.
An update in the policy comes on the heels of an increased awareness of issues pertaining to sexual violence on college campus, including a scandal at Baylor that led to the dismissal of former football coach Art Briles in May 2016.
