March 1 session with sexual misconduct consultant team

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 11:15:24 -0500

Dear Members of the UMBC Community,

On March 1, Retriever Courage partners will hold a second information gathering session with Jody Shipper, J.D., and Cherie Scricca, Ed.D. of Grand River Solutions, Inc., our consultant team, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Proscenium Theatre, Performing Arts and Humanities Building.

The March 1 information gathering session will be similar in format to the session that took place on February 7. After a brief introduction to Shipper and Scricca and their work on campus, participants will be invited to share ideas, experiences, and concerns with the consultants in order to inform their work at UMBC. This will not be a traditional Q&A format. Rather, the consultants will be listening for direct input from the UMBC community.

For those who prefer not to share publicly or are unable to attend the information gathering session, you may use this anonymous Google form and your feedback will be shared with Shipper and Scricca.

Throughout the spring semester, Shipper and Scricca will review current university processes, policies, procedures, and practices regarding sexual misconduct. This review includes meetings in February with Retriever Courage partners as well as with campus groups that they and Retriever Courage partners have identified.

Based on the information Shipper and Scricca receive, they will help to assess what is working well and where we can learn from other institutions’ best practices and from evidence-based research. This effort will have a broad scope, beyond the specifics of Title IX alone, also including models for prevention and training for students, faculty, and staff, and best practices for providing support to those impacted by sexual violence. Their recommendations to UMBC will be presented to the campus in May.

Thank you for your commitment to Retriever Courage and for the input and suggestions you are sharing to inform this work. While some important actions are already underway, this work is just the beginning. It is challenging, and it calls for each one of us to be involved, to listen, and to learn from one another, so that UMBC will become a stronger community and Retriever Courage can have a lasting impact on the campus and beyond. There are many different ways to be involved, such as joining an advisory committee, participating in educational workshops and training, becoming an advocate for survivors, and committing to being an observant, vocal community member.

We encourage those who have observed or experienced sexual violence/misconduct to seek support as needed at any time. There are many resources available on campus and in the community that offer confidential medical support, confidential psychological/emotional support, and interim protective measures (e.g., no-contact orders, housing adjustments, academic concerns). For emergency situations, contact campus police via 410-455-5555 or local police via 911.

The Implementation Team will continue to share updates on the consultants’ future campus visits and process, additional Retriever Courage progress, and ways to stay engaged.

—Retriever Courage Implementation Team