UPDATE: UM  announced Tuesday afternoon the when and where of student forums. The first will be 5-7 p.m. Monday in the UC Ballroom and the second 4 p.m. Feb. 22 in the UC Theater. Students attending the forum will break into facilitated discussion groups to talk about the causes of sexual violence, its consequences on individuals, prevention and more. The National Coalition Building Institute of Missoula will facilitate the discussions. Vice President Teresa Branch said the announcement was delayed to coordinate with student government and to design a poster.

 

Students don't come forward to report assaults or ask simple questions about their own safety because they don't think anybody will listen.

So far, the University of Montana's proven them right. Looking to hire a new public safety director? Ignore the e-mail of UM's student president asking to be a part of the decision. Building a biomass plant? Tell students their voices don't matter. Working to improve campus diversity? Forget to tell student groups about their seats on the committee.

Investigating flaws in sexual assault reporting? Promise student forums the first week back, but don't do it. Schedule off-campus forums first.

When President Royce Engstrom took office a year ago, he promised more open campus communication. He's made some progress — establishing the University Council and calling the Kaimin back at 9 p.m., long after most people have clocked out — but it seems Engstrom's team has some kinks to work out. Students are the first to be left out when it happens.

At the off-campus forum on sexual assaults Jan. 17, Engstrom said students would receive an e-mail about on-campus forums during our first week back in classes.

We're waiting.

Vice President Jim Foley, who's coordinating all comments about the investigation, said Engstrom only planned to announce the dates of the forums that first week, not actually host them. Vice President Teresa Branch said they delayed the forums so they could involve students in the planning process.

While the community forum today earned an official press release, UM's done nothing to tell us about the student forums. We've received no e-mails and the forums — now scheduled for Feb. 13 and Feb. 22 — are not listed on the University's calendar. Unless you've been reading the Kaimin, you would have no way to know.

We applaud UM for committing to host student forums where people feel safe to speak openly by having administrators leave the room so they don't intimidate us by being frank. But it's only a false gesture when more effort is put toward including community voices than student voices. It'll be week four and week five of a 15-week semester before we're given our chance. It didn't take that long to schedule another community forum. Why?

Maybe it's because when Engstrom opened up for questions after his mid-year speech Jan. 25, no one had anything to ask.

Today, Engstrom will talk about the investigation report at the 2 p.m. University Council meeting in UC 332 and at the 5:30 p.m. community forum at the Holiday Inn Downtown. We'll let you know when times and places are set for the on-campus forums.

Students, let's prove we care. Let's show up to at least one of these with tough questions and helpful comments. Let's stand up for the survivors of violent and sexual crimes among us and demand some changes.