A committee formed by the Freshman Office last month is currently working to plan the program for next fall's Social Issues Night for first-year students.
The creation of the committee came after a disagreement in the spring between the Freshman Office and the Student Assembly Sexual Assault Task Force over how much time would be spent on sexual assault during the two-and-a-half-hour presentation, Summer Assembly President Grace Chionuma '96 said last night.
During Freshman Week, all incoming students must attend Social Issues Night, which presents campus issues such as homophobia, alcoholism, sexism and sexual assault.
Chionuma, who is the former co-chair of the task force, said she was "beyond upset" and felt "betrayed" by Dean of Freshmen Peter Goldsmith because he reneged on an agreement to give sexual assault and abuse an hour time slot during the presentation.
She said Goldsmith promised Co-Coordinator of Sexual Assault and Abuse Issues Danielle Moore '95 the slot last Fall term but at the end of the Spring term he "reversed his decision."
Moore said after discussion, an agreement was reached with Goldsmith and Associate Dean of Freshman Tony Tillman on June 1 to form the committee to let students decide what issues will be discussed.
Alexis Sainz '96, the current chair of the task force, said the group suggested the committee in the spring after the "disagreement."
Goldsmith said there was no battle, but that the creation was "an agreement reached after lengthy conversation."
He said yesterday, "The decision how to allocate time will be made by students and it will not involve administrators."
He said last night he was pleased with the work of the committee.
The committee, lead by Tillman, is composed of students, administrators and faculty, and is open to all students.
Tillman, who is on vacation, could not be reached yesterday for comment.
Sainz said the Freshman Office is "restructuring Social Issues Night" and that she is optimistic that the committee will give sexual assault issues an appropriate presentation time.
Chionuma said, "I believe the people will see the importance of the issue and that the students will decide on an hour for sexual assault issues."
But Chionuma said she believes the committee will improve the overall event.
Though the task force and the committee are separate, Sainz said many task force members, who meet 30 minutes before the committee meets, are taking part in the planning.
Last year the task force battled with then-Dean of Freshmen Diana Beaudoin over how much of the presentation would be devoted to sexual assault during the Social Issues Night for the Class of 1997.
The group had requested a separate program for those issues and then negotiated with the administration to get an hour slot. Sexual assault issues previously received 20 minutes, Sainz said.
Former coordinator of Sexual Assault/Awareness Programs Heather Earle, who is part of the committee formed by Goldsmith, said last night the students on the committee "will be able to identify what issues will be incorporated."
Earle and Goldsmith said they would like to see other issues, such as alcoholism and racism combined with the skits on sexual assault.
"On a college campus, you can't [present sexual assault] with out talking about alcohol use and abuse," Earle said. "The issue of sexual assault does not exist by itself -- there are other factors."
