Survivor’s Bill of Rights Approved to Support and Empower Survivors of Sexual Assault

On Wednesday, Dec. 15, a message from Associate Vice Chancellor and Title IX Coordinator Kerri Tillett was sent to faculty, staff and students stating that the adoption of a Survivor’s Bill of Rights has been achieved.

That email is as follows:

Dear campus community,

As we come to the close of the fall semester, I am pleased to share the news that one of the most important priorities for both the university and the Student Government Association (SGA) – the adoption of a Survivor’s Bill of Rights – has been achieved. This represents our joint commitment to support and empower survivors of sexual assault.

I want to thank the SGA leaders who have worked on this issue since 2015, concluding in approval of the Bill of Rights by the SGA last week. This fall, the administration began meeting with the students on a bi-weekly basis to ensure that the provisions of the Bill of Rights appropriately comply with state and federal law. The final version represents hours of thoughtful dialogue, deliberation and collaboration.

At its core, the Bill of Rights ensures that support systems and resources are available to any student who experiences the trauma of sexual assault even if they choose not to formally report the incident. This gives the survivor agency over how they wish to move forward following a sexual assault. Some important provisions of the Bill of Rights are:

• The right to access campus resources without going through a formal process.

• The right to access resources, such as counseling, medical, legal, academic or other accommodations without cost.
   
• The right to a transparent adjudication process conducted by impartial, trauma-informed investigators.
   
• The right to an advisor during the hearing process.
   
• The right to know when they are speaking to a responsible employee who is mandated to report.
   
• The right to eliminating, if possible, or otherwise mitigating costs associated with the Title IX process.

The Bill of Rights is now posted on the new Title IX website. It will be a living document that will be updated as necessary to remain consistent with federal and state law and to be responsive to the evolving needs of our students.

Our campus is indebted to the students and staff who took on the crucial work to make the Bill of Rights a strong statement of our collective values to support and protect survivors. Representing the students were Prabhu Rajkumar, Patrick Collins, Hewan Weldai, Benjamin Katzman, Audrey Gabriel, Hayden Latimer-Ireland and Julia Curto. Joining me as part of the administrative team were Evelyn Ashley, dean of students; Shelly Perdomo, assistant vice chancellor advocacy, inclusion and support; and Lydia Washington, senior director of student organizational development and management.

An essential aspect of this process is the level of student involvement at every step. Consistent feedback was integral, with students sharing concerns raised at meetings with their constituents. Student feedback was presented at every meeting, and students were deeply involved in the review, revisions and editing of the final version of the Bill of Rights.

Again, my sincere thanks to everyone who worked on this vitally important project.

Sincerely,

Kerri Tillett
Associate Vice Chancellor and Title IX Coordinator