Fresno State students required to take sex assault prevention course

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- More than 20,000 Fresno State students will not be allowed to register for classes next semester unless they sign up for a special course aimed at preventing sexual assaults on campus.

The program is designed to prevent sex crimes for more than 23,000 students who attend the university and every one of them has to sign up to register for fall of 2015.

"I think it's good but I don't think it's necessary to have all the students to take it in order to register," student Chong Xiong said.

Even though some students aren't happy about the mandatory course, most agree keeping Red Wavers safe should be a priority.

"I think it's good but I don't think it's necessary to have all the students to take it in order to register. It's good, they are creating awareness. It's very mandatory for the safety of the students," student Ravi Shah said.

Over the past three years, publicly available records show 2012 had the highest number of forcible sexual offenses on campus.

This new program was created following the new law in California known as "yes means yes," which basically means every person must give clear and verbal consent before and during each stage of sex on college campuses.

"If someone is intoxicated they don't have a legal capacity to say 'yes' under any circumstances. Even if you hear the words 'yes' and you might think someone is consenting to participate, if they are under the influence of alcohol that is an automatic no," instructor Melissa Ginotti said.