On Oct. 9, UND sent out an email to students with a safety tip for the “red zone.”

The email was aimed to inform students on how to be safer around campus, though many didn’t see it that way.

The red zone refers to a period of time between the start of the year to Thanksgiving break when college women are at the highest risk for sexual assault.

UND’s email focused on first-year students, mainly women and gave seven tips on how to lower your risk of being sexually assaulted.

University Police Department Chief Eric Plummer’s name and title appear at the end of the email.

Some people on campus reacted negatively to the email.

Students took to social media to say the email was “victim blaming” because it focused on a specific group of students.

After students voiced concerns over email, UND President Robert Kelley sent out another email on Oct. 23 in an attempt to clear up confusion over the first.

“We understand the concerns expressed, and we want to apologize for the unintended tone and messages of the University’s communication,” Kelley wrote in the second email.

Kelley goes on to say the  safety tip was sincerely intended as a way to help promote personal safety.

He adds goes on to explain that “perpetrators, not victims, are responsible for sexual assault.”

Further on, Kelley said several steps the university have taken to make UND as safe as possible especially when it comes to sexual assault.

Kelley ended the email by saying “We [UND] appreciate the reminder of how important it is to fully and clearly communicate about all important aspects of sexual assault prevention and safety. We will continue to strive to fulfill this vital commitment to our students, faculty, staff and campus community.”

Parker Payne is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].