Reported rape cases at Central Michigan University increased from nine in 2024 to 14 in 2025, according to the university’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.
CMU Police Chief Cameron Wassman said the figures include reports made through different university channels like Office of Civil Rights and Institutional Equity, known as OCRIE, or the Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates (SAPA) program. They are not just cases investigated by police.
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is federally mandated and follows reporting requirements established by the U.S Department of Education. The report includes information gathered through designated reporting channels.
“The majority of those numbers come from student conduct,” said Wassman. “Basically, all it means is that more people have come forward to report being involved in those events.”
Brie Walter-Rooks, the director of SAPA, said the increase in reported rapes does not necessarily mean sexual violence has become more common at CMU.
“Reported statistics may substantially underestimate the number of incidents occurring,” Walter-Rooks wrote in an email to Central Michigan Life. “Without additional data, it is difficult to draw conclusions about what this increase means for the overall prevalence of sexual violence at CMU.”
Walter-Rooks said the increase could be attributable to changes in reporting behavior and access to reporting mechanisms, and should be considered alongside the limitations of reporting data and the fact that many incidents of sexual violence go unreported.
“Sexual assault is significantly underreported for many reasons, including fear of not being believed, concerns about confidentiality or potential consequences, shame or self-blame, uncertainty about the reporting process and the complexities of relationships with those who cause harm,” she said.
Students who experience sexual assault can contact police alongside several other options to access support.
CMU police handle criminal investigations, while OCRIE oversees the university’s administrative response to allegations of sexual and gender-based misconduct. SAPA provides support for survivors, according to its website, and is a student-run organization that is completely confidential. The university’s Counseling Center offers additional assistance.
“SAPA’s role is to provide confidential support, advocacy, and rexual violence,” Walter-Rooks wrote
Walter-Rooks said SAPA records contacts, which refers to the amount of individuals who reach out to SAPA, including survivors, friends and family members seeking guidance.
These contacts do not necessarily represent separate incidents, making SAPA’s records different from the figures included in the university’s annual security report.
Survivors can seek assistance without pursuing a criminal investigation. The route they choose depends on their circumstances and what kind of support or response they want.
Wassman said students should understand the responsibilities of each office and the rer they want to pursue a criminal investigation or a formal university complaint
CMU’s Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct Policy outlines procedures for addressing sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking and other forms of misconduct.
Students who want to report sexual or gender-based misconduct or learn about their options can contact OCRIE in Bovee University Center, Room 306, 989-774-3253 or ocrie@cmich.edu.
Survivors and their supporters can also seek assistance through SAPA and the university’s Counseling Center. Those who want to report a potential crime can contact CMU police.
CMUPD did not identify specific new measures planned in response to the increase.
“We want to take a look at that and see if there are ways that we can adjust what we do,” Wassman said. “Sometimes there are, sometimes there aren’t. These types of crimes, sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, often need to be handled a little bit more sensitively and I’m not sure that increasing control or increasing police presence is the solution for that.”
