Dear UAA Community,
Many of you have heard the national statistics on sexual violence rates in Alaska, and it’s fair to say they are alarming. The Alaska rape rate alone is nearly three times the national average. Though it’s difficult to talk about, it’s absolutely critical we continue to bring the issues of sexual violence and sexual harassment to the forefront of our daily lives, particularly on a university campus. During the years 2011-14, UAA had 139 sexual harassment and/or sexual assault complaints, including those made at our community campuses. Most people are aware of Title IX as it relates to gender equity in sports, but it is much broader than that. Title IX also addresses issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault in educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance, such as universities.
In May, the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) placed the entire University of Alaska (UA) system on the list of colleges and universities that would undergo a Title IX compliance review. This review includes on-site visits by representatives from the OCR on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 at UAA. During this site visit, OCR will conduct interviews and hold focus groups to learn more about how UAA handles allegations and complaints of sexual harassment and sexual violence involving students. We take this work very seriously. I’d personally like to encourage students to attend one of the focus groups or one of the open office hours to discuss issues of sexual assault and/or sexual harassment. If you’d like to meet one on one with an OCR representative, that option is also available. Included at the end of this email is the most recent schedule for the OCR’s campus visit.
Marva Watson, UAA’s Title IX Coordinator, and Dr. Dewain Lee, UAA’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator, have been working closely with OCR staff on the upcoming visit. In addition, UAA’s two Title IX investigators, Stephanie Whaley and Jerry Trew, have been providing training to our faculty and staff over the past several months. A significant number of employees also completed Title IX training at the all of UAA’s campuses during AY2013-14. Students are receiving Title IX training as part of orientation. These four individuals are particularly important to recognize as go-to staff on Title IX issues on campus. You can learn more about our Title IX work at www.uaa.alaska.edu/deanofstudents/title-ix.cfm or greenandgold.uaa.alaska.edu/?p=26027.
In addition to the OCR campus visit, UA will conduct a comprehensive “climate survey” on sexual assault and harassment to gauge the local impacts of the issue; to identify gaps in reporting, support or training; and to understand more fully what our campus climates are like regarding Title IX issues and where we must improve. The survey will help guide efforts to proactively reach out to students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. People participating in the survey must be aware that questions are explicit, and could be upsetting to some.
The survey will be distributed to all UA employees and a representative sample of our student population. Participation in the survey will be voluntary, confidential and anonymous, with only aggregate results released. The goal of the survey is to improve safety on all UA campuses and ensure that sexual harassment and violence incidents are prevented to the greatest extent they can be, and that when incidents do occur, they are dealt with properly.
UAA has fully cooperated with the OCR on this review. It’s always our goal to promote a culture of respect, safety and care on our campus. The in-depth review conducted by the OCR will help us better understand our campus environment, will provide areas for growth and improvement, and will make us an even better institution in how we respond to and provide support for victims of sexual violence and harassment. Please consider doing your part by participating in one of the several focus groups, or by attending one of the open office hours with representatives from the OCR.
Best regards,
Chancellor Tom Case
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