Office of the Chancellor > State of the Campus Address 2004

State of the Campus Address
September 28, 2004

Another important issue for the campus is the treatment of women, including issues surrounding gender violence, sexual harassment and sexual assault. Let me be absolutely clear: We will not tolerate violence against women here.

Right now, we are reviewing several recommendations of a campus task force reviewing educational programs related to sexual assault and violence against women. Another group is reviewing and improving response protocols for incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct.

Recommended strategies include more training for students, faculty and staff on sexual harassment and assault policies, protocols and services — including programming directed towards men, who comprise the vast majority of perpetrators of violence against women. Recently, we allocated funds to establish a new position that will help coordinate expanded training for our students. This task force also recommended, and we have established, a Sexual Misconduct Case Management Team that will help implement a new protocol for responding to incidents of sexual misconduct and assault. Let me emphasize that we intend to continue providing confidential support for victims as we investigate any allegations.

Here at CU-Boulder, we will focus on providing repeated and consistent opportunities for education and conversation to create the best climate for cultural change in this important area. Just last week, the campus sponsored a four-day visit by Jackson Katz, a national expert on gender violence. He challenged us to motivate the "bystanders" in a situation of sexual misconduct — to speak out, to take action, and to help prevent gender violence. We need to provide training and support throughout the campus, including the administration, as we work to build a truly nurturing community. Through multiple meetings and public addresses, Jackson Katz has inspired a new dialogue on campus that we intend to use as a foundation for continued action. In fact, student leaders today are meeting to discuss ideas for changing our culture. I hope you all will join in the discussions and planning efforts in the coming weeks.

In summary, we are determined to enhance alcohol abuse education and prevention among our student body, to refine and enhance our athletics policies and practices, and to help prevent and respond to sexual assault and violence against women in the campus community. These are high-priority items that must be addressed effectively in order to build a safe campus community for our faculty, staff and students. I am committed to making these changes and working with others across the campus to accomplish these goals.

And now I'd like to turn your attention to another serious matter that affects the future of this great university — the challenges of financing higher education in the State of Colorado and our plan to confront these challenges to ensure a quality education for our citizenry.

Previous | Next