To the Trustees: We Need More Accountability

My name is Ronan Towell and I am Student Body President. I am humbled to have the opportunity to speak in front of this distinguished group. It is inspiring to think that you were once in my shoes as a student here, that you too slept through your classes. As I have yet to meet the vast majority of you, I will spare you the details of my Davidson journey and instead, I will let the people who know me best make my introduction. My closest friends describe me as resilient, responsible, thoughtful, and honest, almost to a fault. My time at Davidson has given me the opportunity to grow into these traits, and for that I will be forever grateful.

As I was preparing for today, I kept returning to the saying “You are the company you keep.” I take pride in the friends that I have made here. Within the company I keep, we hold each other accountable. When we make mistakes, we regard vulnerable honesty more highly than narratives of convenience. Today, I invite you to work with me and to continue your own work with students to make this true for the institution that has given us so much.

According to a recent survey that was conducted by the SGA and the Student Title IX representative, which was sent to all current students, there have been 34 instances of sexual violence on campus, which contradicts the Davidson’s official annual figure which varies on average between 5 to 10 formal cases a year before COVID, with a notable decrease since the pandemic. Because this survey is a starting point and almost certainly undercounts the true figure, further research is necessary. To my knowledge, no data exists about non- reported instances of sexual violence at Davidson College. For this discussion, sexual violence is defined “an all-encompassing, non-legal term that refers to harassment, sexual assault, r*pe, and sexual abuse.” Sexual violence can happen in any setting including classrooms, social gatherings, and sports practices, regardless of the time of day or wardrobe choices.

Before you is a summary of statistics from our survey, as well as anonymous statements directly from students about their experience with sexual violence on campus. When a student does come forward to the Title IX office, they are presented with formal and informal options by the College’s Title IX Coordinator. A formal case involves pursuing institutional action against their alleged perpetrator or “respondent.” Given the time commitment, emotional burden, and variable results, this route is often not chosen by survivors. An informal case allows for support measures to be put in place to protect the survivor of sexual violence such as a no-contact order and approval for the survivor to change their Residential Hall and class schedule to limit interactions with their respondent.

The respondent is presented with the non-binding option of attending consent classes. There is no record kept of informal cases except in the private care files of the College’s Title IX number of informal cases in which one student has been labeled a respondent. Twelve, she replied. Twelve times a single student has been named a respondent in informal reports yet they remain on-campus and able to pass a background check with no formal record, consequence, or accountability.

Right now, my peers are looking over their shoulders, unable to complete coursework or enjoy the wealth of opportunities available on campus. The full extent of the emotional burden of experiencing such a violation cannot be quantified nor can the grief and anger of seeing harm done to a loved one. As the College envisions its future under a new President, I invite the members of the Board of Trustees to collaborate and innovate a system that protects students and engages in restorative justice as a first response. Ideas include contracting a Pro- Bono legal team to support the current pro- bono attorney in her effort to represent students, as well as reforming the first year consent training and including follow-up sessions throughout their Davidson experience.

No one solution is perfect, but Davidson has the opportunity to innovate a combination of solutions to better care for all students. Researching the accountability policies of peer institutions is my next step and perhaps this is where the Board can step in, but that is of course up to you. I know that you all care about Davidson as much as I do and your expertise and experience with this topic are invaluable. Together we can create a campus that offers every student the opportunity to fulfill their potential without being abused, stalked, or otherwise violated by their peers. The Davidson Honor Code has persisted over generations, and has evolved significantly along with attitudes of equity on the basis of income, gender, race, and sexuality. What if we aimed even higher? What if the honor code read,“I will refrain from stealing, lying about College business, cheating on academic work, and violating the individual liberties of my fellow students?”

Ronan Towell ‘24 is the Davidson Student Body President, and is majoring in Environmental Studies.

He delivered this speech in front of the Davidson Board of Trustees to inform them about the Title IX policies at Davidson, and how they need to improve.

Coordinator. There is no maximum number of informal cases that a student can have levied against them, nor is there a penalty for being listed as a respondent in multiple informal reports. I asked the Student Title IX Representative, what is the highest