NIU Forms Sex Assault Task Force

DEKALB, Ill. (AP) — Northern Illinois University has formed a task force to address concerns about sexual assaults on campus.

The (DeKalb) Daily Chronicle reports University President Doug Baker announced the creation of the group Wednesday. The group of 20 met for the first time this week and is expected to meet regularly over the next three months before, in October, giving Baker recommendations about how to strengthen the university's sexual assault policies.

Baker says the decision to form the task force came after a White House report reviewed complaints about how some universities treated campus rape victims.

He says NIU wants to be proactive.

University data shows there were 11 forcible sexual assaults at NIU's DeKalb campus in 2012, up from 6 in 2010.