At some big colleges, sexual assaults most likely off-campus

Of the school’s 51,000 students, she said, only about 18 percent live in campus housing.For now, federal guidelines urge colleges to take action against any sexual misconduct that disrupts a student’s education, regardless of where it took place.But in its proposed rule, the department says schools should be required to address sexual misconduct only if it occurs within their “programs or activities,” a designation that would exclude many cases off campus.The proposal is included in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ revision of Obama-era guidance on campus sexual assault, which officials say is unfairly skewed against those accused of assault and goes beyond the intended scope of Title IX, the federal law barring sex discrimination in education. Some argue that police are better equipped than schools to handle cases away from campus property, although advocates who work with victims counter that only a fraction of assaults are ever reported to police.Cynthia Garrett, leader of Families Advocating for Campus Equality, a group that represents students accused of sexual misconduct, said existing rules have led some colleges to investigate sexual misconduct hundreds of miles away. The University of Maryland University College, which does not have residence halls and offers the majority of its classes online, says no sexual assaults have been reported in the past five years.At the University of Central Florida, officials say they’re awaiting the department’s final rule but have not stopped investigating off-campus sexual misconduct complaints involving students or employees.“It is the university’s mission to provide a safe environment for all students and employees.