“Student activism has long been a means to bring a sense of consciousness and awareness to campus issues. It is also supported by our mission and displays care for community and the needs of all students. The recent Title IX protest was no different. It helped to educate members of the campus community to the unfortunate experiences of students in our community and reaffirmed the urgency of immediate action to address issues of sexual violence on our campus.
Many of the concerns expressed at the protest were already being explored by the Title IX and Anti-Discrimination Task Force. The Task Force has met since late February. We are a multi-constituency group that consists of student, faculty, and staff voices. Our recommendations will be holistic in nature and focus on antidiscrimination more broadly. In addition to sex discrimination (which may include Title IX matters such as sexual harassment and sexual violence, and bias associated with sexual orientation and gender identity), members of our community have also expressed experiences of discriminatory behavior on the basis of other protected classes (e.g. race/ethnicity, religion, ability, etc.).
A report will be submitted to President Armstrong and Vice President Gambrell-Boone at the end of this week, per our original charge. Recommendations will cover seven broad themes: 1) accessibility, 2) support, 3) reporting, 4) investigation, 5) sanctioning, 6) training and education in relation to Title IX and antidiscrimination policies, practices, and procedures and 7) staffing.
In addition to these themes, each recommendation will list a priority level of high, medium, or low. Information on best practices will also be included where applicable. It is our hope that each recommendation will receive careful consideration as the Task Force has been thoughtful in its response.”
