TO: Campus Community
FR: President Ming-Tung "Mike" Lee
Dear Campus Community:
With appreciation for your candid feedback and ongoing engagement, I am pleased to update you on our continued efforts to nurture and strengthen our culture of caring, safety, belonging and respect at Sonoma State University.
As part of a systemwide effort across our 23 California State University campuses, the Cozen O’Connor Institutional Response Group has assessed how we respond to reports and incidents of discrimination and harassment.
Through a series of interviews, campus visits, survey results, and email feedback, Cozen O’Connor identified core observations for improvements at both the system and university levels. The recommendations from this assessment will guide and help us improve our Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation training, awareness, prevention, intervention, compliance, and support systems.
The full report of the systemwide Cozen O’Connor assessment, including both a summary report and a separate report concerning Sonoma State University, can now be found on the CSU’s Commitment to Change and Sonoma State University websites.
In addition, on May 24, Cozen O’Connor presented to the Board of Trustees an initial overview of their assessment. (View a recording of the presentation. Cozen section begins at minute 26:15.)
With these important findings now in hand, I have assembled an implementation team, including a broad cross-section of campus stakeholders, to advance the Cozen report’s recommendations.
Key areas of focus and action over the months to come will include:
- Creating a centralized strategic plan and position for prevention, education, and programming efforts on campus;
- Revising processes for responding to other conduct of concern that does not fall within the Nondiscrimination Policy;
- Enhancing mechanisms for conflict resolution; and
- Increasing visibility of the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination through addressing staffing needs and creating awareness campaigns for faculty, staff, and students to help the campus community better understand the complexity, options, resources, and responsibilities related to Title IX and discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
This work will be very challenging. My trust, full support and thanks go to the implementation team members who will invest their time, energy and expertise in this vital effort so important to all of us. Our ambitious goals will require substantial planning, additional resources and personnel, and will be accomplished in stages. We will continue to share our progress and specific plans as they are developed and evolve.
Thank you again for helping to ensure Sonoma State University is a safe and inclusive place, where all of us can thrive.
Sincerely,
Ming-Tung "Mike" Lee
President