UPD said they would have more information Sept. 10 on the reported sexual assault, but ended up not releasing it.
SGA President Jack Hesser said more information reported from the university would have been helpful.
“When we have something like this happen on or around the campus, I think there could be more relevant ways to send out notifications, and maybe more information and updates about the general campus safety in regards to what is happening,” Hesser said.
In the email, the university said only that a sexual assault had occurred that day in a residence hall. No other details — including whether the perpetrator was still at large — were offered.
The university said Sept. 10 that the university spokeswoman was on vacation and unavailable and declined to provide more information. Spokeswoman Joan Todd did, however, return an email query that night, but was unable to offer much further detail.
“Other than the notice that already was sent, there are no updates, further details or arrests,” Todd said.
Some of the basics were left unanswered: the location, the degree to which the victim was injured, a description of the suspect and any other details that might help students know if a threat still existed.
Other top schools in Indiana do release details when confronted with sexual assaults or other crimes on their campuses. At Purdue University, warnings offer students details on the incident date, time, type, location and suspect information. In a recent sexual assault incident, Indiana University also alerted students about suspect details and updates in the investigation.
Hesser said while Ball State’s emergency alert system is prompt, the university’s public safety notices could be distributed differently.
“I think campus safety could be more prominent in future notices that could cause students to say, 'Oh my gosh, what’s happening?'" Hesser said. “Without compromising information or safety for the survivor, maybe notices in the future can give other students a better idea about the overall safety of the campus.”
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