Dear students,
You may be aware of California’s recently passed “Yes Means Yes” legislation that sets new standards for ensuring sexual contact among college students is consensual. The law also specifies how reports or complaints of unwanted sexual activity are to be investigated and acted upon by university administrators.
This action provides the perfect backdrop for me to reiterate UC Merced’s firm commitment to creating a safe campus environment and maintaining a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual violence. By law, sexual violence occurs when physical sexual activity is engaged in without the consent of the other person or when the other person is unable to consent to the activity. It also includes domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Consent is an affirmative, unambiguous and conscious decision by each participant to engage in mutually agreed-upon sexual activity. Consent is voluntary and revocable at any time. To see the full definition and explanation of what constitutes sexual misconduct and consent, please review the UC Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault.
I want to be sure you are aware of the many resources available at UC Merced for those who want to learn about support services, how to report crimes and complaints, find education programs or simply understand our own processes for responding to these types of incidents.
UC Merced’s campus protocol prohibits sex offenses and provides information to faculty and staff members and students on how to respond when they learn of sex offenses.
A new sexual-violence-prevention website has been created to provide the campus community with information about how the university works to prevent sex offenses, how the university will respond once it becomes aware of any sex offense, and the many resources available to those who have been affected by sex offenses. We are committed to taking appropriate measures to maintain and improve services to our campus community and enhance efforts to prevent sexual violence.
It’s On Us -- all of us -- to engage as active bystanders to prevent sex offenses in our community and to report sex offenses immediately when they occur.
Reporting ensures victims have access to help, support and information regarding their rights, options and resources.
All reports of sex offenses should be made as soon as possible to the UC Merced Title IX Coordinator Wendy Smith. It should be noted that policy requires supervisors and faculty members to report sex offenses to that office.
Additionally, the UC Merced Police Department is available to assist with emergency situations and criminal complaints, while the Violence Prevention Program provides confidential advocacy assistance and information. Our campus advocate Tamara Isaac-Cooksey is available to help survivors with concerns like medical care, counseling, accommodations related to education, employment and housing, and guidance regarding reporting to law enforcement and/or the university.
If you have questions or concerns regarding the policies or your responsibility to report, please contact Wendy.
I recently urged members of my cabinet, comprised of the campus’s senior leadership team, to join in pledging to end sexual violence in our campus community.
We hope you will join us in that commitment, because sexual assault and violence affect the entire campus community.
One incident is too many. Let’s all work together to keep our campus safe.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Leland
Chancellor
