Important Sexual Violence and Title IX Updates

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 10:46:46 -0400

As we welcome our students back to campus, we wanted to update our community on some of the changes happening across campus related to the University’s response to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence. We want to thank all of the students, faculty, and staff who shared their thoughts and concerns with us and who committed to being a part of improving the University’s response, including those serving on the Retriever Courage Implementation Team and committees.

In direct response to feedback we received, we are making structural changes by transitioning the functions of the Human Relations/Title IX Office to the newly created Office of Equity and Inclusion which will report to the Chief of Staff in the President’s Office. The Office of Equity and Inclusion will be responsible for promoting and coordinating the university's core values of inclusive excellence, equity, and diversity and will have primary responsibility for UMBC’s efforts under Title IX, including the University’s response to reports of sexual and gender-based harassment and violence.

Further, in response to recent changes in the University System of Maryland’s Policy on Sexual Misconduct, as required pursuant to current Maryland law (House Bill 913), the University has made a series of updates to the Sexual Misconduct, Interpersonal Violence, and Other Related Misconduct Policy. Key changes include:

A definition of Sexual Coercion added as a prohibited act of sexual violence;

Student’s rights to retain an attorney, paid for by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC); and

Identification of the nearest hospital(s) to campus to obtain a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE).

Additional updates and changes to the policy and accompanying procedures can be viewed on the Human Relations website. We are still waiting to receive the final rules amending Title IX regulations from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and will share updates with the UMBC community as soon as they are available. The University’s focus on strengthening our response protocols will not diminish.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion will be sharing additional updates and developments in the coming weeks. Please reach out to the Retriever Courage Implementation Team if you have questions or concerns.

President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous