Dear Faculty Colleagues,

Following on the heels of the February 1 campus forum on sexual assault co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, Vanderbilt Student Government, and the Faculty Senate, we are pleased to devote this issue ofEngage to the Campus Climate Survey. In particular, we focus on the recommendations directed to faculty from the Provost’s Task Force on Sexual Assault (PTFSA). This month’s newsletter includes articles to increase faculty awareness of their mandated reporter status as responsible employees of Vanderbilt and resources available to faculty to help them address students who experience sexual misconduct. We profile Project Safe, a one-stop destination for support and resource referral available to all Vanderbilt students. We also remind faculty of what constitutes sexual misconduct, their mandated reporter status, and how to address that obligation by reporting directly to the Title IX coordinator, involving the Office of their Dean for guidance as needed, or clarifying their obligation to students and offering to connect students with confidential resources.

We want to remind faculty that information from both surveys is available here to faculty for review. “We invite faculty to bring their expertise to utilizing the data to make recommendations for campus change. We are looking for fresh perspectives and insights that our faculty glean from examining the survey results. We want to address the issue of sexual misconduct on campus in proactive ways. Any feedback from faculty on how the information may help us in that effort would be greatly appreciated,” stated Cynthia Cyrus, Vice Provost of Learning and Residential Affairs.

We hope that you find this edition of Engage particularly useful to increasing faculty awareness of resources and processes available to address sexual misconduct. By working together we can strive to make Vanderbilt a safer and more welcoming environment for everyone. As always, the Executive Committeeencourages your feedback and partnership with the Senate. Reach us through our individual e-mail accounts or through our anonymous feedback form on the Senate Portal. Last, while we want to note that this edition of Engage focuses on matters related to student sexual misconduct, there are resources for addressing faculty-faculty sexual misconduct. The appropriate faculty affairs Dean for each particular school is trained in dealing with such matters and is available to provide assistance. Additional support and services are available via the faculty/physician wellness program through EAP. Reports, questions about sexual misconduct, or other allegations of discrimination should be reported to the EAD.

Warm regards,