Office of Civil Rights to visit Western Nov. 1 to 3
Staff from the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights are coming to WWU on Nov. 1 to 3 to hear from students, staff, faculty, and other university community members about WWU`s response to sexual harassment, including sexual violence. They have asked WWU to communicate the following message to faculty and staff. A similar message is being sent to students.
Dear WWU Faculty and Staff,
The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education (OCR) will be on campus Sunday, November 1, Monday November 2, and Tuesday, November 3, as part of our investigation of Western Washington University under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs.
OCR invites you to meet with us in private appointments to provide feedback about your experiences or students` experiences with reporting sexual harassment and sexual violence to WWU, and WWU`s training, policies, procedures, and resources for preventing and responding to sexual harassment, including sexual violence.
OCR will hold listening sessions for students and will have private office hours for anyone who has feedback on Sunday, November 1, Monday, November 2, and Tuesday, November 3, at the campus locations listed below. You will not be required to provide your name to OCR, and OCR will not be providing WWU with any names of those who come to meet with us either in groups or individual interviews. Individuals may bring an advocate or someone they trust when they meet with OCR. If you would like help finding an advocate, you may contact Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County (DVSAS) at (360) 715-1563.
If you would like to speak privately with OCR, OCR will set up an anonymous way for individuals to sign up for timeslots using index cards with numbers outside the office hours locations. Individuals may contact OCR in advance if they are comfortable identifying themselves and would like to make an appointment for the office hours.
Listening sessions last one hour and private office hour appointments are 20 minutes. Self-identified groups of faculty, staff or other community members are also welcome to contact OCR to set up times to meet. If anyone is unable to attend in person, they are welcome to contact OCR directly to set up a telephone conversation. OCR staff are available on an ongoing basis after the onsite; contact information is included below.
OCR staff will be in several locations each day.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Viking Union 565:
- Students listening session 1pm –2pm
- Students listening session 2:15pm – 3:15pm
- Private office hours: 3:30pm – 6pm
Wade King Recreation Center Conference Room 219:
- Private office hours 1pm – 3:30pm
- Students listening session 3:45pm – 4:45pm
- Students listening session 5pm – 6pm
Monday, November 2, 2015
Viking Union 567:
- Private office hours 9:30am – 11am
- Private office hours 4:45pm – 6pm
Viking Union 565:
- Students listening session 1:30pm –2:30pm
- LGBTQIA students listening session 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Viking Union 464:
- Private office hours 2:30pm –4:30pm
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Viking Union 464:
- Private office hours 8:30am –10:30am
Miller Hall 154:
- Students listening session 10:45am – 11:45am
- Private office hours 2:15pm – 4:30pm
Viking Union 565:
- Students listening session 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Contact OCR directly to set up private in-person appointments or telephone conversations by contacting the following staff.
- Caitlin Stanley Burks, OCR attorney, at caitlin.burks@ed.gov or (206)607-1620
- Amy Klosterman, OCR attorney, at amy.klosterman@ed.gov or (206) 607-1622