��������

While Sharon Shewmake doesn’t have a statement in her syllabus about her obligation to report sexual misconduct, she said she thought doing so was a good idea, especially in courses whose students often talk and write about their experiences. Shewmake is an associate professor in the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University.

In Shewmake’s economics courses, students don’t typically write personal essays. But sexual assault has come up, she said, when students have fallen behind in their work and visit her office to talk about it.

She immediately explains what being a mandatory reporter means. Then she tells students that her main goal is to help them get back on track, and offers to connect them to any resources they might need.

“That has almost always been met with, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you,’” Shewmake said. She’s glad she’s a mandatory reporter because she believes it puts her in a position to better protect her students.