Moravian has seen a hectic semester, with the reopening of the HUB and its status as the fastest-growing college in the Lehigh Valley becoming more visible. Naturally, as students move in, traffic will grow and the community will bustle. Unfortunately, this time of year tends to revive crime trends in the area.

Common crimes include theft, trespassing, or substance-related offenses. However, since the beginning of the semester, the Moravian campus has been seeing a rise in sexual offenses. According to the MUPD crime log, there have been at least five reports of sexual assaults and harassment reported since August.

These reports are within the period of the “Red Zone” on college campuses, which refers to the time between the start of the semester and Thanksgiving break when students are the most susceptible to sexual assault, specifically freshmen and women.

Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator Becki Achey went in-depth with the Comenian about the university’s efforts to address these crimes. 

The Clery Act establishes colleges’ crime-reporting obligations, meaning that when a report is made, she said, so it must be taken as is in order to be documented. The case will resolve as reports go through their due process of investigation. At this point, it is common for crimes to be re-categorized based on accurate descriptions.

Achey gives her perspective on the issue from the administrative side. While reports in themselves may sound bad, she explains that more reports can indicate students’ comfort in navigating and using campus resources. They can also reflect on the university’s outreach efforts, ensuring that resources are reaching those who need them.

Staff at Moravian are trained to handle and report situations involving sexual crimes. These annual trainings include campus-wide and role-specific instructions for Moravian staff to be aware of, though they are ever-changing with the times and policies.

The various agencies and committees introducing these trainings are working continually on sexual assault prevention initiatives all around campus. Achey serves on the University’s Threat Assessment Team and Bias Response Team, both of which participate in tracking, reporting, and assessing campus safety.

Additionally, Achey co-leads Moravian’s Sexual Violence Prevention Committee, which holds monthly open discussion meetings. This committee oversees the university’s efforts to raise awareness and prevent on-campus incidents. They report on policy and training updates and identify strengths and weaknesses in their current strategy of action. 

The Title IX office collaborates with departments such as Athletics, Greek Life, CAPS, and Campus Police to deliver training and provide additional information about resources. The office also collaborates with student organizations such as GEC and Spectrum to ensure all sectors of campus are included. They encourage any student, individual, or organization to get involved in their work.

Over the past year, the Title IX office has continued to expand its operations, both behind the scenes and on campus, with support from the It’s On Us PA Grant. This awarded the university $40,000 in funding to promote awareness and conversation about sexual violence. 

Students should know their resources on and off campus. On campus, students can find confidential and supportive assistance through Health Services, the University Chaplains, Campus Police, and Moravian’s trained Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Violence. 

Off campus, the Crime Victims Council of the Lehigh Valley (CVC) and Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley serve as community partners to Moravian, which both offer 24/7 support and advocacy to anyone impacted by sexual violence.

Community members are encouraged to get support or file a report for any experiences or witnesses of sexual violence through moravian.edu/titleix or by emailing [email protected]. Visit moravian.edu/equity-compliance/resources for a complete list of resources.

“We want our community to know that we are committed to both accountability and care, ensuring that every report is handled with fairness, every individual is supported, and our collective efforts continue to make Moravian a safe and respectful place to live, learn, and work,” Achey said.