UNL student government considers new committee on sexual assault

A group for students, by students, this committee would deal with longstanding problems on campus.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Wednesday could be the day that starts a new sexual misconduct committee within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s student government, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (ASUN).

If it passes, the Sexual Misconduct Committee would join the large list of other student-run committees that work with other groups on campus.

“I think that it’s a good representation of a bunch of different organizations and committees on campus that work with trying to prevent this already and also work with survivors that have been impacted”, explains student senator Meyri Ibrahim.

Ibrahim has spearheaded this new group, working on it for months now. One big push was the alleged sexual assault at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house over the summer.

“The first couple weeks were especially time-sensitive and really urgent”, says Ibrahim. “This has been a problem I think that’s happened on campus in the past, but I think that this incident that occurred with Fiji really hit the nail on the head in terms of what we need to do and change on campuses.”

For Ibrahim, that all means this was the time to make a difference.

“There’s no committee that’s existed like this that’s for students, by students”, she says. “I think especially now in the way that our climate looks on campus in terms of sexual assault and sexual violence and misconduct as a whole, I think that it’s really important that this first step comes from our student government.”

The entire concept is set for a final discussion and vote at 6:30 on Wednesday. From there, it’s either voted in or is sent back to the drawing board for another attempt.