On Feb. 4, the Office of the Chancellor sent out an email acknowledging the instances of sexual assault that have occurred on DU’s campus. The email recognized the work that it says still needs to be done to improve the campus climate surrounding such events.

“The recently reported sexual assaults, including a rape and three reports of forcible fondling, that occurred near campus are a sobering reminder of the continued need to create an equitable campus, continually improve university policies and practices related to prevention and education, and provide more accessible ways for members of our community to report instances of misconduct or violence and receive the support they need,” said the email.

The email also identifies the actions the school has taken in the past to combat these events. It identified the university’s work with Pepper Hamilton LLP, a firm that specializes in assisting universities with adhering to federal guidelines about sexual violence and Title IX. The firm released an addendum to the full report that addresses the progress the university has made since the original audit report made in 2014.

A new Title IX office, led by Jean McAllister, is one of the significant changes the university has made, as the email mentioned.

“The office now has two full-time civil rights investigators, Eric Butler and Siri Slater, and we have clarified the office’s leadership and strengthened its partnerships with the larger Title IX team that provides direct response to sexual (gender) violence,” the email said.

In response to students and other community members who have spoken up about these issues, the email said the university has improved the investigation process and the school’s ability to respond to concerns about retaliation. Further information on these improvements can be found on DU’s Title IX website.

The email says that, as a result of these measures taken, more people who have been victims of sexual violence have come forward about past instances.

Another measure taken to work against these events of sexual assault is the requirement of USG-funded organizations to attend BOSS training, a program through the Center for Advocacy, Prevention, and Empowerment (CAPE) to assist students in understanding how to prevent violence on campus. An email sent out by Undergraduate Student Government on Feb. 13 detailed what was required of student organizations.

“[I]n USG’s efforts to change the culture around sexual assault, the president and vice president of all USG-funded student organizations are required to attend a BOSS training,” said the email. “ . . . [I]n order to be considered for an increase in funding, a club must have at least 75% of their current members BOSS trained by the application deadline in Spring Quarter.”

Both emails call on the community to join in working toward making DU a safer place for all members.