Iowa State is expected to launch new training related to sexual misconduct and Title IX, according to an email sent Thursday by Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen.

Wintersteen cited the #MeToo movement and recent events at Michigan State University regarding former gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar as catalysts for the new trainings, and also outlined the steps that the university is taking to combat the issue and implement the trainings. 

“The first step in eradicating a problem is to acknowledge it exists. We must confront the fact that sexual assault, harassment, and other misconduct occur across the country and right here on our campus,” said President Wintersteen in the email. “It is imperative that every single one of us takes any and all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously. We must start by believing, respond swiftly and conduct a thorough investigation.”

The email also provided a link to both campus, confidential and non-confiendential resources available to victims of sexual assault, and emphasized that the only person responsible for sexual misconduct is the perpetrator. 

The new, required trainings will be available to students, faculty and staff and will cover sexual harassment, discrimination, harassment and Title IX. Students will be able to access the trainings on AccessPlus starting Feb. 26 and faculty and staff may access their training online at Learn@ISU starting March 1. 

Wintersteen also cited the Green Dot program, a bystander intervention and power-based violence prevention training, as a means of education and prevention available on campus. More than 1,600 members of the campus community have completed the training, and more trainings will be scheduled to happen in April. 

“As your new president, my top priority is to ensure our campus is a place where everyone feels safe, welcome, included and empowered to reach their full potential and thrive,” Wintersteen said at the end of the email. “Together, we must commit to a culture of zero tolerance for sexual misconduct and discrimination, and I expect 100 percent completion for our new training.”

The email also urged faculty, staff and administrators to report any instances of sexual harassment or misconduct, both known and rumored, to the university’s Title IX Coordinator Margo Foreman or to a deputy Title IX coordinator.