I am deeply concerned by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's proposed rewrite of the rules governing sexual harassment and assault allegations on college campuses. The changes are incongruous with our values as an academic community.
These changes prioritize demands made by the representatives of alleged assailants at the cost of victims courageous enough to come forward, and aim to reduce the liability of institutions, overlooking that our primary responsibility is to ensure a safe learning environment for all of our students and employees. They clearly diminish the necessary protection of critical civil rights designed to increase representation and participation in education.
I want our campus community to know that UC Santa Cruz remains deeply committed to protecting students and employees from sexual violence and sexual harassment through a timely, transparent and trauma-informed process that is fair to both complainants and respondents. Sexual violence and sexual harassment violate the fundamental values of our campus, and we will continue to work unceasingly to create a campus where everyone feels welcome, safe, and treated equitably.
