U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights investigation

Unit Managers: Please post a paper copy of this message in your area for people who do not have regular computer access.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights recently notified UC Santa Cruz that it will review the campus's handling of sexual violence and sexual harassment complaints. The campus is one of several University of California campuses now under review by the OCR.

Sexual assault on college campuses is a critical issue and one the campus takes seriously. We're proud that UC Santa Cruz has long been at the forefront of campus sexual violence prevention and education programs. Still, there is always room for improvement. We will, of course, cooperate fully with the investigation, and we will refine our policies and procedures as necessary.

As part of UC President Janet Napolitano's initiative on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence and Sexual Assault, UC Santa Cruz recently updated its sexual assault policy and the campus website. We hired a new confidential victim advocate and are in the process of recruiting a second advocate. The campus has taken these and other steps to bolster our ability to respond to reports of sexual violence and harassment, and we will are prepared to do more if warranted.

UC Santa Cruz is committed to preventing sexual violence—including sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking—and to responding promptly and appropriately to such reports. Creating and maintaining a safe campus environment for everyone is one of our top priorities.