University plans more hires to prevent sex assault on campus

The University of Wyoming plans to add four jobs to help prevent and better respond to sexual harassment and assault on campus.

The Laramie Boomerang reports the university looks to hire a student-athlete well-being coordinator, a psychology graduate assistant for the trauma and sexual assault prevention lab, a diversity specialist and an investigator.

The student senate also plans to ask the university to hire a sexual assault prevention educator.

Athletics Director Tom Burman says the student-athlete position resulted from discussions with female student-athletes. He told the trustees’ budget committee Tuesday the sexual assault rate on campus “would probably shock all of us.”

A 2018 survey found that over 1 in 4 students experienced sexual assault while at the university. Officials say students on other U.S. campuses report similar sexual-assault rates.