Each fall, we reach out to remind you of the university’s commitment to building and sustaining a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment. But what does that mean?
Associate Vice Chancellor and Title IX Coordinator for the
Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance Valerie Simons
For many, they are already fulfilling dreams of a successful academic or employment experience at a flagship university. For others, they are reaching for those same experiences, but barriers remain to accessing them. Many in our community face day-to-day challenges on campus and off. They are not accepted for how they look, what they believe in, or how they express themselves. We can and must do better in embracing our entire community.
Embracing diversity in all its forms and treating all members of our CU family with respect and dignity is the foundational principle of our federal and state civil rights laws. These laws, embedded in our university policies, require all of us to not discriminate or harass on the basis of race, color, national origin, pregnancy, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran (military service) status, political affiliation or political philosophy.
These principles are also reflected in our revised, system-wide Sexual Misconduct, Intimate Partner Abuse and Stalking Policy and our campus Discrimination and Harassment Policy. As we indicated in early October, the Sexual Misconduct Policy was revised to align processes across all campuses and clarified key areas regarding due process, adjudication jurisdiction, and mandatory reporting. In addition, CU Boulder now requires all employees (faculty, staff, and student staff) and affiliates to complete training on these policies every three years after initial completion when new to the Boulder campus.
OIEC is responsible for spearheading our campus efforts on the prevention and response to sexual misconduct, and discrimination and harassment, and has many resources for you to explore and access as needed, including our first annual report, annual statistics, as well as training, education, and assessment tools. You also can report a concerning incident, request a disability- or pregnancy-related accommodation, or be connected with support services.
As we move into the heart of our school year, we ask that you embody the principles of inclusive practice. To create true behavior change, each one of us has to be part of the solution.
Think about your daily actions. Think about what you say and how you say it. Think about ways in which you too can call out inappropriate words or actions in a way that can help people do better. Support people in a meaningful and sustained way. Be the community to which we all aspire. We will be alongside you each step of the way.
Sincerely,
Valerie Simons
Associate Vice Chancellor and Title IX Coordinator
Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance
