Chancellor berkeley: recent focus on sexual violence, assault, and harassment is critical. He says he has instituted improvements in communication, education, training. Chancellor will ensure that all senior University leaders have taken the required sexual assault training.
Chancellor berkeley: recent focus on sexual violence, assault, and harassment is critical. He says he has instituted improvements in communication, education, training. Chancellor will ensure that all senior University leaders have taken the required sexual assault training.
Chancellor berkeley: recent focus on sexual violence, assault, and harassment is critical. He says he has instituted improvements in communication, education, training. Chancellor will ensure that all senior University leaders have taken the required sexual assault training.
Oakland, California 94607-5200 Phone: (510) 987-9074 Fax:(510) 987-9086 http://www.ucop.edu
March 11, 2016
CHANCELLORS Dear Colleagues: The recent focus on several cases has brought to the forefront the importance of preventing and responding to sexual violence, assault, and harassment. This issue is critically important to the University of California, and to me personally. As you know, in the past two years I have instituted the Presidents Task Force on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence and Sexual Assault, which has instituted improvements in communication, education and training, confidential support, and, for cases involving students, improved investigations, adjudication, and sanctioning. To address sexual misconduct cases involving faculty, I appointed a Joint Committee of the University of California Administration and Academic Senate to develop recommendations for my consideration. This committees charge is to examine the entire process in the investigation, adjudication and sanctions in cases involving faculty. The final report and recommendations will be provided to me by April 4, 2016. While I will not prejudge the recommendations, my criteria for evaluation will be whether they would result in a process that effectively investi gates and adjudicates sexual misconduct cases involving faculty, impose appropriate sanctions, and ensure we have an environment at all of our locations where UC community members are free from sexual harassment and safe from threats of sexual violence. Even while waiting for the committee to complete its work involving faculty, I have concluded that we need to take immediate action to fortify our efforts with respect to senior University leaders. Accordingly, I am directing the following steps: First, every Chancellor will ensure that all senior University leaders including but not limited to Chancellors, Provosts, Vice Chancellors, Vice Provosts, and Deanshave taken the required Sexual Assault Sexual Harassment Training. Certification by your office that all senior University leaders have completed this important training must be reported to Sheryl Vacca, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance and Audit Officer, by March 25, 2016.
Chancellors March 10, 2016 Page 2
Second, I am creating a new Systemwide Peer Review Committee to review
and approve all proposed sanctions of substantiated violations of the Universitys Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Policy by any senior University leader. The Committee will have representatives from all ten campuses, and will be co-chaired by Sheryl Vacca, the Chair of the Presidents Task Force on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence and Sexual Assault, and Allison Woodall, UC Deputy General Counsel. I will appoint the other members of the committee within the week. As I told the Sacramento Bee, at a minimum, our employees are entitled to come to work without fear of sexual harassment or sexual violence. Moreover, and I cannot emphasize this enough, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that substantiated claims of sexual harassment and sexual assault are dealt with firmly, fairly and expeditiously and that appropriate sanctions are imposed that recognize the serious nature of these claims. Yours very truly,