The NIU Sexual Assault Response Team will be left without two of its most important factions if university administration decides to cut the University Health Services’ third shift next fall.

Blanche McHugh, Sexual Assault Task Force director, said that if the proposal passes to eliminate the midnight to 8 a.m. shift at the health center, SART, a program offered by the task force, will lose its source for 24-hour on-campus medical and counseling services.

SART is composed of 24-hour on-campus counseling, medical and police services to victims of sexual assault, McHugh said. If the midnight shift is eliminated, the program will only be able to offer police services after 12 a.m., “and although the police are more than cooperative (in sexual assault situations), victims don’t always want to go to the police first,” she said.

Jon Dalton, vice president for student affairs, said one concern of the university about the shift elimination is that the health center is one of only two campus offices open all night. “We didn’t want to discontinue the service on a residential campus, but it’s pretty clear the (utilization) numbers are small,” he said.

Statistics compiled by the health services fee study committee show that only about two students per night use the health services during the third shift.

Gregg Bliss, a student member of the study committee, said that based on the use of statistics, the study committee has found student use of the health center after midnight to be minimal. “It isn’t worth it to keep it open,” he said.

“I can’t see (the closing) affecting SART that much,” Bliss said. He said that because the SART program is considered to be a “mobile console,” it can react to victims “anywhere” and does not necessarily need to react from the health center.

Dalton said he is “clearly concerned” that a new location for SART’s 24-hour counseling services be found. He said the third shift will not be eliminated until a new location for the counseling is established.

The study committee will submit its proposal to eliminate the shift this week, Dalton said. He said he will make a recommendation about it to NIU President LaTourette by next week.

Dalton said he mainly is concerned about the cost to operate the health center and its poor utilization and whether he can save students money.

Beverly Beetham, assistant director of health services, said she and Health Services Director Rosemary Lane have been negotiating with administrators at Kishwaukee Community Hospital for the hospital’s cooperation in giving medical assistance to NIU students during the third shift.

Beetham said she and Lane have asked the hospital to inform NIU sexual assault victims they can be referred back to the university for counseling and police services.

McHugh said that because of Illinois requirements, Kishwaukee must provide treatment to rape victims free of charge.