Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff Members,

As you may recall, last month President Smith and I shared the College’s response to proposed changes in federal Title IX regulations. That message also mentioned that we would join several other liberal arts colleges in signing a letter that captured and expanded upon our concerns. As promised then, I am sharing that letter here.

Since my arrival in July, we have worked to further strengthen and enhance our efforts to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community. As you may know, recent highlights include:

• Hiring Hillary Grumbine as a violence prevention educator and survivor advocate,

• Appointing Isaiah Thomas as a Deputy Title IX Coordinator in OSE to facilitate access for students,

• Creating a witness coordinator role within the Title IX process to ensure that witnesses receive consistent support, information, and resources,

• Using an external investigator for student complaints, and

• Adopting and implementing changes to the College’s Title IX policy and procedures, including incorporating suggestions shared last spring. Updates to the 2018-19 policy and procedure can be found here.

Most importantly, the Title IX Team continues to support students in a variety of ways, receiving and responding to reports, actively processing complaints through the adjudication process, and routinely soliciting feedback from those involved.

We are grateful for your support as we continue this vital work. If you have questions about this work or anything related to Title IX or the resources we offer, please let me know.

Respectfully,

Bindu