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I.      Call to order

Ruth Jones called to order the meeting of the Campus Committee on Sexual Responsibility & Misconduct (CCSRM) at 3:00PM on January 29, 2016 in Library #251.

II.      Members Attending

The following persons were present:

Karla Aguilar; Ruth Jones; Richard Mora; Jordan Brown; Anne Schell; Vivian Garay Santiago, Dana Michels; Marianne Frapwell; Katelyn Fink; Claudia Conde

III.      Discussion of Committee Ground Rules

1.      Participate to the fullest of your ability - community growth depends on the inclusion of every individual voice.

2.      Ask for clarification if you are confused. 

3.      Do not be afraid to respectfully challenge one another by asking questions, but refrain from personal attacks - focus on ideas.

4.      Use your best judgment in word choices and refrain from using derogatory words or names.

5.      If you are offended by anything said during discussion, please acknowledge it in the group or let Ruth know afterward.

Because this committee will oftentimes need to discuss sensitive topics and have difficult conversations, it was decided that Ground Rules should be created and implemented to help best guide the meeting discussions. It was also mentioned from a committee member that we should respect all Â鶹ÊÓƵ community member’s privacy and use examples that did not include any identifying details. Because of this recommendation, an additional Ground Rule was added:

6.   Respect all Â鶹ÊÓƵ community members’ privacy to the fullest extent possible and avoid using any specific details that might identify individuals when discussing issues or giving examples.

IV.      Update on New Policy & Procedures

A. The Delay and Release Date   

In November 2015, the Title IX Coordinator sent the final version of the revised Â鶹ÊÓƵ Sexual Misconduct Policy & Procedures to OCR for technical assistance. Â鶹ÊÓƵ met with the OCR representatives in late January to receive feedback on the policy.  The Title IX Coordinator reviewed that feedback and made some changes to the policy. There were no major substantive changes to the policy.

The new policy and procedures will be announced to the Â鶹ÊÓƵ community the week of February 1, 2016.  The title IX Coordinator will contact the student government association to discuss offering a public forum for the Title IX Coordinator to discuss revisions to the policy and procedures.

B. Redesign of Website

The Communication and Title IX offices have been collaboratively revising the Title IX Office webpage.  The work is proceeding in stages.  The home page has been completed and the policy and procedures are in the process of being uploaded. Committee members will have an opportunity to provide feedback on changes to the webpage.   

C. Drafted FAQ’s for Review

The committee will have a chance to review the FAQs drafted for complainants and respondents who go through the Title IX complaint resolution process. The FAQS were drafted to clearly and concisely answer common questions by those involved in Title IX cases.

One suggestion thus far is to include information on who exactly investigates formal Title IX complaints.

D. The Review Panel

Within the new Â鶹ÊÓƵ Sexual Misconduct Policy, that there will no longer be hearings to resolve complaints.  The committee will soon be discussing how to best solicit Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty, staff, and administrators to serve on the Review Panel for a three year commitment. It was also discussed that we need to think through which roles on campus would be inappropriate to serve on the panel (ex: Project S.A.F.E. Survivor Advocate).

E. Staff/Faculty Procedures; Protected Class Discrimination Policy

While the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Sexual Misconduct Policy applies to all members of the Occidental community, there will be separate procedures for students, faculty, and staff/administrators.

V.      Spring 2016 Meeting Dates

·         Friday, February 12 (HSC 225)

·         Friday, February 26 (HSC 225)

·         Friday, March 18 (HSC 225) Note that this is a change from the March 11 meeting date.  The meeting was rescheduled because March 11 is spring break. 

·         Friday, March 25 (HSC 225)

·         Friday, April 8 (HSC 225)

·         Friday, April 22 (HSC 225)

·         (Last day of classes is Thursday, April 28)

VI.      Introduce Spring 2016 Committee Topics

This semester the committee will focus our efforts on following topics:

·         Sexual Assault Climate Survey: Dr. Teresa Kaldor from Institutional Research will help us to think through the next steps on adapting the current instrument to best meet our needs at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

·         Examine the Sanctioning Guidelines for the Review Panel.

·         Updates on some of the exciting work in the area of Prevention/Education, in collaboration with Project S.A.F.E. Specific topics will include recent focus groups we have held, the plan for next year’s online prevention education program, and future events and happenings hosted by the Title IX Office and Project S.A.F.E.