Dear Patriots,
Today Mason launched a new, all-encompassing website for community members seeking information, resources, support and advocacy about sexual violence prevention and response at Mason.
This is part of the university’s commitment to eradicating sexual violence from our campuses, and one of the recommendations put forth by the Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence Taskforce that I chartered in February 2015.
Other important actions resulting from the taskforce include the hiring of a dedicated Title IX coordinator, Dr. Jennifer Hammat, and a Title IX investigator, Megan Simmons, JD, as well as the launch of the “Mason Speaks” campus climate survey to better understand the reality of sexual violence at our university.
We will continue to review and revise university policies concerning sexual violence and gender-based harassment, and provide additional resources to the Student Support and Advocacy Center to better serve victims of sexual violence and strengthen our prevention programs.
We will be following closely any changes forthcoming in federal regulations, as communicated by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in a speech she delivered yesterday in the Arlington campus, and will offer our input during the review process.
Our goal in any case is not to just meet our legal and regulatory obligations, no matter how they evolve, but do whatever is in our power to ensure everyone at Mason has the ability to learn, work and thrive.
I thank you for your personal engagement in this effort.
Sincerely,
Ángel Cabrera