Sexual Misconduct Prevention Initiatives

To: Faculty, Other Academic Appointees, Staff, Postdoctoral Researchers, and Students
From: Ka Yee C. Lee, Provost
Subject: Sexual Misconduct Prevention Initiatives
Date: September 21, 2020

I write to reaffirm the University’s fundamental commitment to fostering a safe and welcoming environment for all members of our community and to share important information on mandatory training and resources to prevent and address sexual misconduct.

The University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other legally protected classes. Sexual misconduct, including sexual assault or sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking violates the standards of our community, and will not be tolerated. To that end, every member of our community should be familiar with and must follow the University’s Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment and Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct, both of which define relevant terms, processes, reporting obligations, and support services.

The University makes substantial efforts to prevent and address allegations of sexual misconduct and ensure that all reports are addressed in a prompt and thorough manner that is equitable for all affected parties, best serves our community, and complies with the laws.

Following is important information on these efforts:

• The Office for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Support leads our comprehensive support for students, including receiving complaints, providing support services and accommodations, and answering questions regarding the student disciplinary process and making a complaint with law enforcement. Staff members in the Office for Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Support partner with students to offer innovative training and peer-to-peer educational programming.

• Sexual misconduct awareness and prevention training is mandatory every year for all faculty, other academic appointees, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and students as noted in my August 14, 2020 message regarding the University’s Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment. You will receive a follow-up message in the coming weeks with details on how to take these training programs.

• The University participated in the Association of American Universities (AAU) spring 2019 climate survey, and we continue to use the results to strengthen our misconduct prevention and support initiatives.

• The University is an active member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education, which brings higher education leaders together to prevent and address sexual harassment on campuses. A faculty advisory group is working with the Equal Opportunity Programs team to guide the University’s participation and efforts with the collaborative.

• The University offers many forms of support and resources — including confidential resources — to all members of our community. For more information, please review the University’s one-page resource guides for students, for faculty/ other academic appointees/ postdoctoral researchers, and for individuals with sexual misconduct reporting responsibilities; the UMatter website; or the Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Support website. Appendix I in the University’s Policy on Title IX Sexual Harassment and Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Misconduct contains a comprehensive overview of support and resources available. I also encourage you to contact Bridget Collier, Associate Provost and Title IX Coordinator for the University, for more information or resources.

These are important steps and initiatives to further strengthen the University’s response to sexual misconduct and foster a healthy and respectful living, learning, and working environment.