Pace University wants to ensure one thing: student’s health and safety come first.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently revoked Obama-era rules for sexual assault investigations on campus with the belief that they were unfair to all involved parties.

This left many students unsure how it will affect their colleges and universities.

DeVos’s plan is to pushback what was recently stated in Vice President Joe Biden’s “You Are Not Alone” campaign, which extended protection for victims, and instead allows individual states to decide how to proceed with a sexual assault allegation.

Debbie A Levesque, Assistant Dean for Community Standards & Compliance, believes New York State has a good handle on sexual assault procedures, and these changes will not affect our campus. In Article129B, it states that each college and university must implement “uniform prevention and response policies and procedures relating to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.” (Article129B)

“New York state law is really the toughest in in the country with regards to this issue,” Levesque stated. “We made sure that our polices complied with that legislation… President Marvin Krislov is most concerned with student’s safety.”

When faced with sexual assault, students of Pace University have many resources and choices. The first step is always letting someone know, such as the counseling center, or the Title IX office.

From there the student can decide to start an investigation through Pace or through a more formal judicial system. Either way, both parties, the accuser and the accuse, can find the help they need on campus.