Ellen Plummer, Frank Shushok appointed to state task force on combating campus sexual violence

2 Oct 2014

photograph of Ellen Plummer, Frank Shushok — Ellen Plummer and Frank Shushok

Governor Terry McAuliffe has appointed Virginia Tech Assistant Provost Ellen W. Plummer and Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Frank Shushok to the Governor’s Task Force on Combating Campus Sexual Violence.

The task force will focus on finding common solutions to building safer, more educated college communities within the state, with the goal of creating best practices for education and prevention of sexual violence on campus.

The panel will bring together professionals from across the commonwealth representing law enforcement, victim’s advocates, experts in the field of sexual assault, education and the medical profession. The task force is headed by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring.

“There is no bigger concern then the health and safety of our citizens in the commonwealth," said McAuliffe in making the announcement. "As governor, I am committed to building a new Virginia economy where students are free from the threat of sexual violence. It is critical that we work together with the schools, educators, and law enforcement to build on our goal for all higher education institutions to be safe places of learning and growing,” said McAuliffe.

Plummer joined Virginia Tech in 2000 as director of the Women’s Center. Serving in the provost’s office, she provides administrative support to governance processes, focuses on women’s and inclusion issues, and administers grants to support victim services, safety, and security.

In addition to his duties in student affairs, Shushok serves as Virginia Tech’s deputy Title IX coordinator for student sexual misconduct. He is responsible for receiving complaints of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, sexual violence or other sexual misconduct, against university students.

The task force is expected to work on best practice recommendations, including how sexual violence complaints should be investigated and resolved; how students, faculty and staff members should be trained; and how reporting of incidents can be encouraged.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.