I am pleased to announce that my office has scheduled a Beyond Compliance Forum for 4–6 p.m. Oct. 11 at Kresge Town Hall. The meeting will focus on what we are doing to address and prevent sexual violence and sexual harassment on our campus.
This forum, which I feel is especially important as we start a new academic year, will bring together the many units and programs on campus working to address SVSH. Among the organizations that will be in attendance: Beyond Compliance; Campus Advocacy, Resources, and Education (CARE); Respondent Support Services; Title IX; and the Student Union Assembly. Students from the Title IX Student Advisory Board, a systemwide policy group focused on sexual violence prevention and response, also will be on hand.
Each group will offer a short overview of their work, and what they have planned for the year. Attendees will then have the opportunity to ask questions, and to share concerns and ideas. Nancy Heischman, director of Campus Conflict Resolution Services, will facilitate the event.
Both the Title IX and CARE offices have new directors in place, so the forum also provides a chance to meet them.
Our Beyond Compliance initiative was launched in 2016, under former Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Alison Galloway, to engage faculty in helping to reshape campus culture with the goal of creating an environment free from SVSH. Since the launch of our campus initiative, we have revised policies, sought wider community input, and held forums to have open discussions on the topic. We aim to extend the impact of all our initiatives by bringing these important groups together.
Sexual violence and sexual harassment violate the values of our campus, and we are working earnestly to create a campus where everyone feels welcome, safe, and treated equitably.