Dear Members of the Campus Community,

As part of the university’s comprehensive approach to eliminate sexual violence, I write with an important reminder about resources available to assist in the prevention, reporting, and investigation of sexual misconduct.

I urge all of us – students, faculty, and staff members – to uphold these important policies and procedures that are designed to protect everyone who lives, works, and learns on our campus. We all must be vigilant in changing a culture in which such acts occur, whether on our campus or in our communities.

Resources and Training

  • Sexual Misconduct Resource Center. The resource center website provides important information about sexual misconduct prevention and response, including what to do if you have been assaulted, and how to seek and provide support to others.
  • Campus Policy Prohibiting Sexual Misconduct. The federal law known as Title IX states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”  Under this and other laws, all students, faculty, and staff, regardless of gender, are protected from any sex-based discrimination, which includes sexual harassment or violence that is “so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively bars the victim’s access to an educational opportunity or benefit.” Our campus policy is binding upon all members of the campus community, including visitors and vendors. Please take the time now to review it and be fully aware of your responsibilities.
  • Training and Advocacy. Consider joining the work being done by Peer Allies and It’s On Us; participating in “Take Back the Night” on Nov. 6, at 8 p.m., in the Wheelock Student Center rotunda; or signing up for a Green Dot Bystander intervention workshop for yourself or your club, group, department, or team. These highly effective training sessions are scheduled for Sept. 20, Oct. 25 and Nov. 23.
  • Sexual Violence Prevention Tutorial and Assessment. In addition to the sexual violence prevention tutorial that all faculty and staff members are required to take every two years, all students, faculty, and staff members are encouraged to take an online assessment to further educate themselves about ways to identify, prevent, and interrupt sexual violence.

Contact Information

  • Title IX Reporting and Investigation. Sandra Braedt is the university’s deputy and interim Title IX coordinator and can be reached at titleIX@pugetsound.edu, 253.879.2825, Howarth 211D. Please contact her or visit the Title IX website to learn more about reporting and support options. All employees must report any information regarding gender-based discrimination and harassment to the Title IX office or online at pugetsound.edu/report.
  • Sexual Assault Advocate. Associate Dean of Students Marta Cady serves as a privileged sexual assault advocate for the campus and can be reached at martacady@pugetsound.edu. 
  • Faculty Ombudsperson. Professor Kate Stirling serves as a faculty ombudsperson to address faculty questions that may arise about reporting. She can be reached at stirling@pugetsound.edu.
  • University Chaplain. Rev. Dave Wright ’96 serves as a confidential resource for those who wish to discuss or reflect on issues related to sexual misconduct and other areas of concern. He can be reached at dwright@pugetsound.edu.

Additional information and resources will be provided throughout the year. Thank you for everything that you do to help make University of Puget Sound a place where every member of our community is valued, safe from harm, and treated with the utmost respect.

Sincerely,

Isiaah
Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President