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July 24, 2007

Breaking the Silence

New faculty member thinks defining, talking about sexual assault will create community prevention

Story by: A.J. Eaton

The Shorthorn staff

The Shorthorn: Kyle Clothier

Lisa Andrews, newly appointed Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Coordinator, is 27 years old and earned a doctorate in both criminology and victimology.

Female college students have a one-in-four chance of being assaulted while attending a university. The highest victimization rate for women is in the first two months they are on campus.

While these numbers may be frightening, Lisa Andrews, a new addition to the university, thinks talking about it is the only way to prevent it.

As the new Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Coordinator, Andrews heads the Sexual Assault Response Network, which includes UTA Police, Counseling Services, Health Services, other departments and outside agencies.

“We’re creating a Web-like network for people to get services, regardless of where they go to first,” she said. “I’m the central hub that gets them where they need to go.”

Andrews’ main goal is to openly discuss issues of sexual assault and violence with the entire university community.

“We need to discuss and inform the students about what can be done,” she said. “Sexual assault is a problem on all college campuses, and we can help curb the problem by first opening a dialogue about it.”

Frank Lamas, Student Affairs vice president, was involved in creating the position and hiring Andrews. He said many people on campus, including those with campus residence life, the health center and Student Affairs, thought the position would be beneficial to the campus.

“Andrews’ educational qualifications, experience, style and overall vision for the network made her a great choice,” Lamas said.

At 27, Andrews holds a doctorate in both criminology and victimology. She briefly worked as a Tarrant County probation officer.

Andrews is working to create protocols for the university to determine what sexual assault actually is and what to do when it occurs. In creating clear definitions of what constitutes sexual assault, such as relationship abuse and stalking, Andrews hopes to build a unified front at the university.