Editor’s note: A version of this op-ed was sent to University of Chicago administrators by the authors on November 13. Read that letter here.
The University of Chicago has failed survivors. When University policy punishes plagiarism more aggressively than rape, it fosters a culture where sexual violence is tolerated. As members of the University, we will not tolerate sexual violence in our community.
It is the paramount responsibility of university administrators to protect their students. The recent instances of sexual assault and historical record of sexual misconduct cases met with no consequence or minimal suspension at this university demonstrate how the inadequate institutional policies have harmed survivors and failed to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions. Moreover, the University’s lack of comprehensive prevention efforts means consent education is limited to online bystander intervention trainings, which are insufficient and fail to capture the scope and harm of sexual assault. All of this perpetuates rape culture on our campus.
In an email sent on behalf of Dean of Students in the University Mike Hayes and Dean of Students in the College Philip Venticinque on October 21, 2026, the University wrote that it will “continue to proactively seek out opportunities to listen and gather input from students.” In the weeks after this email, the University has expended considerable resources to gain student insight on renovations to Ida Noyes Hall, yet no similar effort has been made regarding campus sexual assault.
In response to the recent cases of sexual assault on our campus, the persistence of rape culture, and inadequate action against sexual violence by university administrations across the country, we—in consultation with faculty and staff members—put together a list of initial demands for the University of Chicago administration. While the change we hope to see does not end with this list, we believe that these are critical first steps toward ensuring a safe campus.
We demand that by the end of the academic year, the University of Chicago administration commit to the following changes:
- Mandatory minimum consequences: Establish mandatory minimum consequences for those found responsible for sexual violence.
- Mandatory comprehensive sexual education course: Hire student-approved, third-party sexual violence prevention and survivor support curriculum developers and facilitators to a) design and implement a mandatory in-person comprehensive sexual education and sexual assault awareness course required for first-year and transfer students and b) provide recommendations for further prevention and education strategies at the University.
- Third-party audit of all University practices relating to sexual violence: Hire a student-approved, third-party sexual violence prevention specialist team to conduct an audit of a) the University of Chicago Police Department’s practices, protocols, standards, and prior investigations pertraining to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, et cetera; b) the University’s Title IX office’s practices, protocols, standards, and prior investigations; and c) all student conduct as it relates to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, et cetera. The University must forfeit its right to review any findings of the audit prior to its release to the general public. Students recommend Sally Yates as the lead sexual violence prevention specialist.
- Meet with community members by December 4 and commit to ongoing meetings: Meet with students, faculty, and staff by Friday, December 4, and commit to ongoing meetings as agreed upon by attendees and administration to continually address progress towards these demands and discuss future action.
We demand a response from the University of Chicago president and Board of Trustees by the end of Friday, November 20, 2026.
Ella Fast and Jadyn Lewis are fourth-years in the College, Destiney Samare is a third-year in the College, and R. L. Willis is a sixth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of English Language and Literature.
