From the chancellor
November 3, 2016
Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to meet with several dozen students at a forum
at the Hess Recreation Center. Much of the evening’s conversation centered on UAF’s
Title IX process and campus safety. Thank you to the students who were able to attend.
I appreciate all of the input and questions you had.
I also want to thank those of you who sent thoughtful messages in the days following
the forum, especially those involving the topic of victim blaming in sexual assault
cases. I heard your concerns, and spent some time reading and reflecting on the subject.
It was a good reminder of the importance of choosing my words carefully. We all must
continuously communicate that sexual harassment and sexual assault are not acceptable
and that victims are not at fault.
For those of you who weren’t able to attend the forum, I want to share a little bit
more about the prevailing topic: UAF’s Title IX process, sexual violence and campus
safety.
When someone reports a sexual assault involving students, two parallel processes may
take place:
- A criminal investigation and process, where police and the court system evaluate whether someone broke the law. The criminal process requires proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If a person is found guilty, penalties could include things like fines and incarceration.
- An administrative Title IX investigation and process, where the university evaluates whether a student has violated the student code of conduct and a complainant’s rights under Title IX by engaging in sexual misconduct. The university process requires a level of proof called “preponderance of the evidence,” which means “more likely than not.” If a person is found to have committed sexual misconduct, major sanctions, such as suspension and expulsion, could be imposed.
Throughout this process, the university also uses interim measures to protect and support both the complainant and respondent, and protect the campus, to the extent possible, until a thorough investigation can be completed.
Interim measures can include things like making arrangements for a student to switch classes or take an online class, offering counseling, connecting students with an advocate, requiring that students move to a different residence hall or trespassing someone from campus facilities. Interim measures can be adjusted throughout the investigation to ensure the needs of both the complainant and the respondent are met. This allows for due process and ensures both parties are treated equitably until the investigation is complete.
In addition to protecting the rights of the parties, interim measures are also designed to protect the campus community. New or changing interim measures are evaluated by professionals, such as student services and law enforcement, to ensure that the campus community will be safe.
The Title IX process is a complex one. Students now have someone to help them navigate that process, should they need it. An advocate from the Interior Alaska Center for Nonviolent Living is now assigned to serve campus. This advocate works for the center, not for UAF, and her sole purpose is to help students, confidentially, throughout every step of a Title IX investigation. The advocate and her team are available 24 hours a day. More information is available online at https://uaf.edu/woodcenter/services/rac/.
Sunday’s forum included some good recommendations for how the university can do a better job being more proactive on the topic of sexual assault. Some of the ideas mentioned include working more closely with student government, supplying graduate students with emergency call buttons in the field, offering Title IX and Green Dot presentations in classes and developing a student task force that can meet regularly with Title IX and student discipline staff members.
Although the conversation centered largely around Title IX and campus safety, we discussed a few other important topics as well, such as the recent 5 percent tuition increase proposed by President Jim Johnsen, clearing ice from the walkway outside of Wood Center and even some creative revenue-generating ideas like proposing a marijuana tax dedicated to higher education.
Again, thank you to those who took the time to attend the forum. We will have more opportunities like it in the future. However, you don’t have to wait for a forum to share your concerns and suggestions with me. I welcome your input. Send me an email anytime at uaf.chancellor@alaska.edu. I value your input, especially when it comes to something as important as campus safety. It’s not something I or the university’s leaders can do alone. We all must work together to assess what is working, what is not and how we can do better. Safety is everyone’s responsibility.