SAN MARCOS, Texas — Texas State University is making changes to procedures following the revelation that it dramatically underreported rape cases in 2016 and 2017.
Originally, the university reported eight cases during those two years. Late this summer, the U.S. Department of Education recommended the university revise the numbers.
The new numbers, released late Monday, indicate there were actually 38 – nearly five times more – reported rapes in the same timeframe on or around the Texas State campus.
“We understand it's troubling for our university. It's troubling for us. Our priority is the safety, security and the peace of mind of our community and so we are working now to let them know the steps we've taken to be more compliant,” said Sandy Pantlik, assistant vice president of communications and university advancement.
RELATED: Texas State dramatically under-reported number of sexual assaults on campus in 2016 and 2017
According to Pantlik, three different situations contributed to the number mishap:
- An old records management system miscalculated the number of cases in different categories of crime.
- Several different entities of the university are involved in Clery Act reporting but didn’t have clear direction on the reporting process.
- The former university police department leadership had more experience in city policing, rather than higher education policing.
The Clery Act mandates universities to report crime on or around campus. It’s enforced by the U.S. Department of Education. If campuses don’t comply, they could face financial penalties or be barred from obtaining federal financial aid.
Since the data discrepancy was discovered, the university has created a Clery Compliance Committee to meet monthly and review crime numbers. Among other actions, the university also hired a new police chief with extensive background in higher education policing.
“Our biggest takeaway is that we will continue to improve these processes. We will review them often and assure our community that we have the right steps in place to ensure moving forward these numbers are correct,” Pantlik said.
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On Tuesday, students expressed concerns over the dramatic uptick but also appreciation for the university’s correction of the problem.
“It's shocking but it also just makes me more aware of my surroundings and stuff and it makes me want to like ... as a woman, I always feel if I see other women like just alone or by themselves, I always offer to walk with them and stuff,” said Sydney Jackson, a Texas State freshman.
Jackson said crime statistics were important to her when researching and deciding on a college.
“That's one of the things in college that students shouldn't be worried about – students shouldn't have to be worried about being sexually assaulted,” Jackson said.
Matthew Swearingen, another student at Texas State, said he’s pleased the reporting has become more accurate.
“I'm glad that the reporting has become more accurate and that they've found a better way to do that,” Swearingen said. “I was a little surprised at the statistic that there were eight instances over the course of a two-year timeframe. It does seem just college in general like that would be higher, unfortunately.”
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