As we announced earlier this month, a procurement committee of faculty, staff, and students has selected consultants Jody Shipper, J.D., and Cherie Scricca, Ed.D. of Grand River Solutions, Inc. to help UMBC address how our community can better prevent and respond to sexual violence/misconduct. This marks an important next step in our Retriever Courage initiative, in addition to early action steps completed by Retriever Courage partners.

On February 7, Shipper and Scricca will be on the UMBC campus for the first time, to hold initial meetings with the Implementation Team and Title IX staff. In order to give the UMBC community the opportunity to share input, Shipper and Scricca will hold an information gathering session on February 7, from 4 to 5 p.m., in the Proscenium Theatre, Performing Arts and Humanities Building.

Shipper and Scricca will return to UMBC on February 21, 22, and 28, and March 1, for meetings with Retriever Courage partners, as well as with campus groups that they and Retriever Courage partners have identified. Shipper and Scricca will hold another information gathering session for the UMBC community during this time, and we will update the campus when details are confirmed.

The information gathering sessions will start with a brief introduction to the consultants and their proposed work on campus. Then, participants will be invited to share ideas and concerns with the consultants in order to inform their work at UMBC.

Shipper and Scricca will discuss how they plan to work with Retriever Courage partners and the UMBC community throughout the spring semester to review current university processes, policies, procedures, and practices regarding sexual misconduct. They will help determine 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.

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

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.

We wish you a successful start to the spring semester.

—Retriever Courage Implementation Team