Update on campus conversation about sexual misconduct

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 09:32:31 -0400

We are writing to update you on important conversations our university community is having about campus response to sexual misconduct reports and making our campus a safer and better living, learning, and working environment for all.

We are grateful to those students, alumni, and other community members who shared their experiences in listening sessions, and through notes and online comments, this past week. We heard the urgency of working to more fully live out our UMBC values, and we are committed to continuing to work together to take action.

Yesterday, UMBC leadership, the Student Government Association, Graduate Student Association, We Believe You, Resident Student Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee hosted an open listening session where we had an opportunity to hear from our community. A recap of that event is available here.

President Hrabowski has named a team to lead this work in collaboration with student, faculty, staff, and alumni leaders, effective immediately. This team includes Vice President for Student Affairs Nancy Young; Vice President for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer; Assistant General Counsel Morgan Thomas ‘13, political science; Chief of Staff Candace Dodson-Reed ‘96, English; Women’s Center Director and We Believe You Advisor Jess Myers; and psychology professor Christopher Murphy, whose research focuses on abuse and violence in intimate adult relationships. This group will be responsible for working with campus partners, thoroughly reviewing the recommendations we have heard, and keeping the campus informed of action steps.

In addition, President Hrabowski has begun initial steps necessary to engage an external review group. These experts will review our processes, facilitate dialogue, and help us move forward.

We will continue this open dialogue and invite all to share thoughts through this webform. We will soon create a website to further engage and inform the campus.

This urgent work impacts us all. Thank you for your commitment to listening together, learning together, and working together to create lasting change.

President Freeman Hrabowski
Provost Philip Rous
Student Government Association
Graduate Student Association
We Believe You
Resident Student Association
National Pan-Hellenic Council
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee