March 23, 2018

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Earlier this month, following the publication of the second article by a student survivor in Voices, I met with a group of students to hear about their experiences with the Title IX process and their ideas for improving it. I want to thank these students for bravely sharing their stories and for engaging in a candid and thoughtful conversation about these issues. Since then I have been working with colleagues to address their concerns and, more generally, to continue to strengthen our campus Title IX-related processes.

The document I received from Organizing for Survivors (O4S) on Monday reflects some of the issues we have been discussing, as well as some new ones. On Monday, I plan to release a letter to the campus community which addresses these concerns.  

Since the Title IX office was created in 2014, the College has made considerable progress in implementing comprehensive sexual misconduct policies and providing healthy relationships education. Still, we must continue to evaluate our processes and policies to ensure that they are responsive to the needs of our students, staff, and faculty. The efforts of O4S have contributed to this ongoing process of evaluation. As we move ahead, dialogue and open communication will continue to be crucial to our ability to create a healthy and nurturing community. If you have questions or concerns about Title IX issues, I encourage you to contact any of the staff members listed on the SHARE website. 

Finally, I would like to invite students, faculty, and staff to attend a community conversation about the search for our next Title IX Coordinator on Wednesday, March 28, from 4-5 pm in the Scheuer Room.

Sincerely,

Valerie Smith
President