American University derails $300,000 sexual assault prevention grant

Article here. Excerpt:

'The proposed education program would require all new students to attend a seminar and an individualized break-out session on the topics of "healthy relationships, consent, relationship violence, stalking, sexual assault and risks correlated with increased use of drugs and alcohol." Incoming students would also be required to complete surveys about sexual assault at two points during the year. In order to ensure compliance with the policy, students who failed to attend the training or complete the surveys would be blocked from registering for classes for the next semester.

That sanction proved a deal-breaker for Vice President of Campus Life Gail Hanson, who informed grant supporters this week that she would not sign off on the application, which is due to the Department of Justice on March 31. In an e-mail, Hanson questioned "whether it is appropriate to place stops on students' registrations if they fail to complete a required sexual assault education program." Hanson added that "it would be exceptional for us to enforce that requirement through registration stops, as the grant proposal currently provides" and urged the campus to revisit the grant proposal next year after locating "an alternative approach."'