2020-21 Annual Report

 

CCSRM Charge

The CCSRM is a diverse, multi-constituency College committee whose charge is:

• review practices, procedures, and programming relevant to sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and Title IX issues;
• provide feedback to the Title IX Coordinator on educational programs/initiatives and other sex discrimination policy initiatives; and
• guided by the Title IX Coordinator, review the Occidental College Sexual Misconduct Policy, within the framework of federal law and guidelines, and offer suggestions for update or revision.

The CCSRM will present an annual report to the president and the campus community by May 1 each year. The report will include a summary of the work done during the academic year, as well as any recommendations made by the committee with respect to existing policies, procedures and practices.

2020-21 Work Summary 

The following is a summary of the CCSRM work during the 2020-21 academic year. Committee minutes for each meeting are posted at: /sexual-respect-title-ix/campus-committee-sexual-responsibility-misconduct/committee-meeting-minutes.

Adapting to a Remote Environment

The Committee recognized the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the ability of community members to report incidents of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Office. Project S.A.F.E. and the Title IX Office both experienced a decrease in reports during the 2020-21 academic year. In addition to campus-wide communications emphasizing the availability of Project S.A.F.E. and the Title IX Office to provide support to community members during remote learning, the Committee recommended the inclusion of language regarding the application of the College’s Amnesty Policy to violations of the Covid-19 Student Compact. The Committee also recommended that there be an emphasis on rebuilding trust and knowledge related to reporting in educational programming and outreach efforts during the 2021-22 academic year.

Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy Review

The Committee reviewed the changes made to the Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy to comply with the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Title IX Regulations that became effective August 14, 2020. The changes included: the addition of Appendix A – Disciplinary Resolution for a Grievance of Title IX Sexual Harassment; the division of prohibited conduct into “Title IX Misconduct” and “Non-Title IX Misconduct”; and the addition of Appendix D – Adaptable Resolution Procedures. The Committee recommended establishing a Sexual Misconduct Policy Revision Working Group to ensure continued compliance with local and federal law, including reviewing and revising the policy in response to anticipated changes to the DOE’s Title IX regulations, and to ensure that the policy is accessible to members of the Oxy community.

Climate Survey Assessment

Given the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the student experience, the Committee assessed whether a campus-wide climate survey would be appropriate for the spring 2021 semester. The Committee identified several concerns, including the possible low response rate and survey fatigue. Ultimately, the Committee decided to not conduct a campus-wide climate survey for the 2020-21 academic year. However, the Committee recommended adding a section of questions related to the remote learning experience to the EverFi Sexual Assault Prevention courses that all Oxy students are required to complete before registering for classes. The Committee recommended that future climate surveys be administered in the fall of every other academic year. The Committee additionally recommended establishing a 2021-22 Climate Survey Working Group, who will coordinate with the Institutional Survey Task Force, to review available climate surveys and plan for the fall 2021 climate survey administration.

Prohibited Relationships by Persons in Authority Policy Review

The Committee reviewed the College’s Prohibited Relationships by Persons in Authority provision included in the Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy. Currently, the policy explicitly prohibits only relationships between employees and students when the employee holds a direct supervisory or evaluative role over the student. The Committee considered whether the policy should be amended to prohibit all relationships of a romantic, sexual, or intimate nature between employees of the College and students, and whether there should be exceptions to the rule. After engaging in a thorough discussion and reviewing similar policies at colleges across the country, the Committee recommended referring the matter to the Sexual Misconduct Policy Revision Working Group for further consideration.

Committee Recommendations

• Establish CCSRM Working Groups to review practices, procedures, and programming relevant to sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and Title IX issues. Specifically: 
  • A Sexual Misconduct Policy Revision Working Group, which in addition to ensuring the policy’s compliance and accessibility, will review the College’s Prohibited Relationships by Persons in Authority policy. Any proposed revisions that are substantive in nature will be made available for community response and feedback.
  • A 2021-22 Climate Survey Working Group to review available climate surveys and plan for the fall 2021 climate survey administration.
  • A Sexual Respect and Title IX Website Review Working Group to consider the redesign/update of the website.
• Emphasize rebuilding trust and knowledge related to reporting in educational programming and outreach efforts during the 2021-22 academic year.
• Continue the Committee for the 2021-22 Academic Year.

CCSRM Membership

The 2020-21 members are:

• Project SAFE - Marianne Frapwell, Senior Manager and Survivor Advocate
• Project SAFE - Tirzah Blanche, Program Coordinator & Prevention Education Specialist
• Student Appointment 1 - Junko Anderson '21, Project SAFE Programming Assistant 
• Student Appointment 2 - Avanti Puri '21, Restorative Justice Committee Member 
• Faculty Council Appointment 1 - Beth Braker, Professor of Biology
• Faculty Council Appointment 2 - Lisa Sousa, Professor of History
• Intercultural Community Center - Chris Arguedas, Director
• Human Resources - Jacie Feigelman, Associate Director of Employee Relations and Training
• Emmons Wellness Center - Sara Semal, Senior Director of Student Wellness
• Dean of Students Office - Vivian Santiago, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Success
• Residential Education and Housing Services - Isaiah Thomas, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Education, Housing Services and Student Conduct
• Office of Student Conduct - Ashley Claiborne, Assistant Director
• Athletics - Rob Bartlett, Cross Country and Track Head Coach
• Campus Safety - Rick Tanksley, Director of Campus Safety
• Financial Aid - Tiffany Mendez, Director of Financial Aid
• Office of Marketing & Communication – Jim Tranquada, Director of Communications and Community Relations
• Title IX Office - Andrea Boyle, Title IX Administrative Coordinator
• Title IX Office - Alexandra Fulcher, Title IX Coordinator