CIA rape study grant
writers not supported by Appalachian
Grayson Mendenhall Chancellor | Student Development Beat
The application
for federal grant money by the Committee for Integrity at Appalachian
(CIA) has raised concern from Appalachian administrators.
If awarded, the grant from the U.S. Department of Education will
be used for further research and educational initiatives concerning
rape at Appalachian State University and other college and university
campuses nationwide.
Security On Campus, Inc. (SOC), a non-profit campus safety organization
based out of King of Prussia, Pa., assisted the CIA in the application
process for the grant March 26 and will discover if they will receive
it by the end of May.
Catherine Bath, program director from SOC, said the Appalachian
administration is attempting to undermine the group’s efforts
to secure funding for the CIA.
“We’re here trying to make college campuses safer for
students and the administration is attempting to put up roadblocks,”
Bath said.
SOC said Appalachian’s reaction to a survey conducted by the
CIA is making the application process more difficult.
SOC Senior Vice President S. Daniel Carter said members of the Appalachian
administration decided not to support or endorse the results of
the CIA survey.
Carter said he interpreted this as a desire by the administration
to suppress the facts about rape at Appalachian.
“Basically, they’re taking the ostrich approach. You cannot
solve a problem by failing to acknowledge it, and that’s what
they’re doing,” Carter said.
Director of University Police Gunther Doerr said the administration
fully supports the CIA and their efforts to combat campus rape,
but would rather not work with SOC.
“The way I understand, the problem is with Security On Campus,
Inc., not the CIA itself,” Doerr said.
The reluctance to work with the group comes from claims of misconduct
by the SOC when working with other universities in the past.
“I think that the organization has not been fair in their past
dealings with other colleges,” Doerr said.
Based on their past history at other schools, Appalachian chose
not to support the group’s efforts.
When asked about the official university stance toward SOC and the
CIA, Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski declined to comment.
