In April 2018 Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr established an Advisory Committee on Sexual Violence Intervention & Prevention co-chaired by Sue McCarthy, associate dean/Title IX coordinator and Oona Eisenstadt, Fred Krinsky Professor of Jewish Studies and professor of religious studies, and comprised of trustee, faculty, staff and student members.
The first meeting of the committee occurred in May 2018. At this meeting, President Starr provided the committee with their charge and asked them to report on their progress at the end of each semester and to provide a final report at the close of the 2018-2019 academic year. The committee was charged with:
- Identifying existing barriers, challenges and gaps in the prevention of, reporting of, and response to sexual misconduct; and developing recommendations for effectively addressing campus needs in these areas.
- Evaluating existing policies, practices, infrastructure and culture to reduce the incidence of misconduct and ensure best practices and compliance (with assistance from legal experts in the area of sexual misconduct) with applicable federal and state law; and advising the College in preparing necessary or desired revisions to the policy and procedures.
- Identifying opportunities and strategies to foster both internal and external partnerships that create a coordinated response to sexual misconduct; promoting a climate of safety and awareness; and monitoring incidents of sexual misconduct.
- Exploring best practices and making recommendations to: 1) enhance support and services for victims/survivors; 2) engage stakeholders in the implementation phase of recommendations; 3) integrate assessment and feedback mechanisms into our policies, processes, programs, and practices.
President Starr shared that she looks forward to receiving the work and recommendations of the committee and expressed her dedication to move these recommendations forward as quickly and as fully as possible.