The University of Michigan’s current work to address sexual misconduct on the Ann Arbor campus builds on more than 30 years of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center providing support and resources for those in the university community impacted by sexual harassment and sexual assault.
We are committed to creating a culture across our campus where all members of the university community — students, faculty, staff and visitors — feel safe and supported.
Our most recent efforts to improve our environment include:
2024
U-M ARC3 Campus Climate Survey Related to Sex and Gender
- University to assess sexual, gender-based misconduct programs
- Presentations scheduled for campus climate survey findings
- U-M surveying community related to sexual harassment, misconduct
- President Santa Ono announces the upcoming climate survey
2023
- U-M expands sexual misconduct prevention infrastructure
- U-M offers new misconduct resources, education for faculty, staff
- Conference to focus on gender-based violence, sexual harassment
2022
Coordinated Community Response Team established
- Sexual misconduct response team kicks off work
- Sexual misconduct response team working to build membership
Prevention Education, Assistance & Resources and Adaptable Resolution made available for faculty and staff
Comprehensive resources available to campus community
2021
A new Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office (ECRT): ECRT is created with an expanded focus on care, support, education and prevention while continuing to investigate and address allegations of misconduct and discrimination.
- U-M overhauls its approach to addressing sexual misconduct
- Description of Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office’s rationale and organization
Title IX Advisory Group: A large Title IX Advisory Group of students, faculty and staff established to provide perspective and input on policies, procedures, prevention efforts and other matters related to sexual and gender-based misconduct in collaboration with the Title IX coordinator and deputy Title IX coordinator.
Culture Change Initiative: A major culture change initiative led by Sonya Jacobs and Dean of Nursing Patricia Hurn and a working group of students, faculty and staff from the Ann Arbor campus and Michigan Medicine engages the U-M community to establish new community expectations, workplace norms and shared values through several methods, including campus surveys, focus groups and townhalls.
Supervisor-Employee Relationships Policy: U-M puts in place a best-practices policy for Supervisor-Employee Relationships that prohibits supervisors from initiating or attempting to initiate an intimate relationship with anyone they supervise. A supervisor who violates the policy could face dismissal. There’s also an employee policy that prohibits sexual, romantic, amorous and/or dating relationships between teachers and learners under SPG 601.22.
Emeritus Revocation: The university revises its policy on emeritus status for retiring faculty members to include, for the first time, a process to revoke that status from faculty members for misconduct or other compelling circumstances.
Hiring and Promotions: Work continued on enhancing the review process for board-approved appointments and appointments for significant positions. This included ensuring that information about policy violations and other misconduct by candidates is available to decision makers and systematically considered.
Policies and Procedures: Work is completed on the final sexual and gender-based misconduct policy that went into effect Oct. 1, 2021. An interim policy — put into place in August 2020 to meet federal guidance at that time — remained in effect on all three campuses and at Michigan Medicine until the new policy went into effect. This policy included definitions for prohibited conduct, including sexual and gender-based misconduct, and Title IX misconduct, separate procedures for addressing allegations against students and those against employees and third parties, and further clarified available confidential resources and ways to report misconduct.
The Interim Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct:
- Protections From Retaliation: The interim policy on sexual and gender-based misconduct prohibited retaliation for reporting an incident of prohibited conduct, being alleged to have committed prohibited conduct, or participating (or declining to participate) in a university process related to such an incident. A team also developed a standalone policy explicitly prohibiting retaliation under broader circumstances across the university community.
- Procedures For Students: Sexual and gender-based misconduct matters involving student Respondents or student-to-student conduct were addressed under the Interim Employee Procedures.
- Procedures For Faculty and Staff: Sexual and gender-based misconduct matters involving U-M employees or Third Party Respondents were addressed under the Interim Employee Procedures.
2019/2015
Research: The university continues to research the issue of sexual harassment and sexual assault on campus to ensure it has the most effective policies and procedures in place for addressing matters impacting the U-M community