UW-Madison Created New Sexual Violence Prevention Role
The position follows reports of drugging and sexual assault incidents at off-campus fraternity houses.
Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Sex Crimes
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University Health Services has established a new violence prevention position embedded within Fraternity and Sorority Life. The move responds to ongoing campus concerns regarding sexual misconduct and high-risk drinking.
Why it matters
The role aims to address heightened risks for sexual violence within Greek life communities. It will coordinate efforts across campus to mitigate incidents of hazing, drugging, and alcohol-related assault.
The university is moving to address safety after two reported drugging and sexual assault incidents at off-campus fraternity houses in September 2026. Separately, the president and vice president of Alpha Epsilon Pi were arrested in September 2026 for a hazing incident.
The players
University Health Services
This is the primary campus department responsible for student health and wellness initiatives at UW-Madison.
Alpha Epsilon Pi
This is a fraternity organization whose local leadership faced arrest in September 2026 regarding hazing allegations.
The details
The position will be organizationally housed within the Violence Prevention unit of University Health Services while working directly inside Fraternity and Sorority Life. Hiring for the role will involve a joint effort between the two departments to address high-risk behaviors.
Timeline
A 2019 Association of Alcohol Universities report linked 77% of sexual assaults to alcohol.
September 2026 saw reports of drugging incidents and arrests for hazing at local fraternities.
The university announced the new prevention position on October 8, 2026.
A campus-wide sexual assault climate survey is scheduled for spring 2027.
Legal Context
The new role reflects a broader legislative and administrative trend toward specialized violence prevention within university systems. It follows findings from the Association of Alcohol Universities 2019 report that established alcohol as a primary risk factor in campus sexual assaults.
Students and faculty can expect increased coordination between university health officials and Greek life organizations to improve safety protocols. These efforts aim to reduce the prevalence of drugging and hazing incidents that impacted the campus community in the fall of 2026.
The takeaway
The creation of this role signals a shift toward proactive, embedded oversight within student organizations. Residents and students should look for future results from the spring 2027 climate survey to determine if these preventative measures effectively reduce campus violence.
What happens next
The university will administer a campus-wide sexual assault climate survey in spring 2027 to gauge the effectiveness of new safety measures and assess the current campus environment.
Further reading
For more on safety initiatives, visit the Sex Crimes section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by UW-Madison Police Department actively investigating three sexual assault cases - The Daily Cardinal.
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