The first of two community meetings was held for students at Ryerson University Wednesday amid growing concern about a series of sexual assaults.

Roughly 40 students attended Wednesday’s meeting following at least five sexual assaults that have occurred on or around the university's downtown campus in recent weeks.

Media outlets were not allowed inside the meeting.

The meetings – the second scheduled for Thursday afternoon - are being hosted by the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) to give students an opportunity to discuss the assaults, personal safety and concerns about campus security in an organized setting.

“Consider this the start of a larger conversation on how to build a campus community free from hate, violence and oppression,” the RSU’s executive wrote to students in a bulletin. “We hope that all members continue to be involved throughout our future meetings, events and initiatives.”

Ryerson spokesman Tony Conte said university officials are attending the meetings to hear students’ concerns.

Conte said Ryerson has a “pretty solid” security program in place already so there are no plans to make any changes, but officials want to hear from students to find out what they need.

If people have been assaulted, they are encouraged to report the incident, Conte said.

Police at today’s meeting echoed the sentiment.

“The police have stopped by today to encourage reporting and pass out some business cards,” Toronto police Det. Suzanne Kernohan told CP24 outside the meeting.

Those who don’t feel comfortable reporting the incident to Toronto police or campus security officers can go to the RSU's women’s centre for assistance, Conte said.

Students who are unable to attend the meetings are invited to contribute to the conversation by filling out a survey on RSU’s website.

Five sexual assaults reported to police

Toronto police told CP24 five sexual assaults on or near Ryerson's campus have been reported to them.

According to the Ryersonian student newspaper, six women have reported being sexually assaulted since the start of the fall semester.

Since late August, Ryerson has alerted students about five sexual assaults. The alerts are posted on the university's website, along with other "high-profile" incidents.

According to the university, the most recent sexual assault occurred Sept. 15, when a female student was inappropriately touched by a man on the dance floor at the Ram in the Rye Pub.

On Sept. 8, a man grabbed a woman’s buttocks on Gould Street, near Bond Street, the university said.

The description of the suspect in that incident is similar to that of a male suspect responsible for a similar incident three days earlier, according to the university.

In the earlier incident on Sept. 5, two female students were walking on Dundas Street near the campus when a man grabbed their buttocks and ran away.

Early Sept. 4, a woman was sexually assaulted twice by the same man within a brief time span.

Police said the man followed the woman to the area of Mutual and Gould streets, where the first sexual assault occurred.

The man fled after the woman screamed, but as she walked to Queen Street East the man returned and sexually assaulted her a second time until she fought him off, police said.

Of the five incidents reported on Ryerson's website, the lone arrest took place after a female student was groped on the patio of the Ram in the Rye early Aug. 30. Police later arrested a man, who is a Ryerson student.

Students urged to take precautions

Because of the incidents, university officials are encouraging students to be aware of their surroundings and take other precautions.

First-year student Erika Vecchiarelli, who wasn’t aware of the sexual assaults, said she doesn’t feel unsafe on campus.

“You just have to be careful and walk with a group of people,” she told CP24’s Katie Simpson. “It happens everywhere. You can’t really control it because it’s such a big campus.”

Vecchiarelli said she would like for Ryerson to provide more communication to students about incidents on and near the campus.

As a measure of protection, Kayleigh, a nursing student, told CP24’s Cam Woolley she tries to avoid walking alone at night.

If she has to, she sticks to streets that are busy with pedestrians and passing motorists.

Brent, who accompanied Kayleigh as they walked to class, said he thinks Ryerson is doing a "decent job" of informing people about the incidents and on-campus safety measures.

“(The incidents are) unfortunate but I do think it’s part of being in a big city,” Brent said.

Student Vidya Kauri, a journalist who has written about the incidents for the Ryersonian, said students are waiting for Ryerson to implement an improved communications system that reaches all students.

Kauri said students don't receive alerts for every incident and, of those that are sent out, some are buried in other emails that have nothing to do with security.

In addition to email alerts, Ryerson has security measures in place to create a safe campus, including patrols, a walk safe program, emergency call system, security cameras and self-defence lessons.

In response to the sexual assaults, Ryerson students gathered on campus for a Take Back the Block event Saturday night in a show of solidarity and an attempt to promote a safe, violence-free environment.

Similar gatherings have been held in other neighbourhoods after a number of incidents during the summer months.

In a span of a few weeks, about 10 women reported being sexually assaulted while walking in the Annex, while several others reported being sexually assaulted during residential break-ins in Toronto's west end.

Police continue to investigate those incidents.

@ChrisKitching is on Twitter. Don't forget, for instant breaking news, follow @CP24 on Twitter.