Report 2017-125 Recommendation 21 Responses

Report 2017-125: The University of California: It Must Take Additional Steps to Address Long-Standing Issues With Its Response to Sexual Harassment Complaints (Release Date: June 2018)

Recommendation #21 To: University of California

To ensure that university policy complies with best practices, the systemwide office should amend that policy by July 2019 to incorporate the following provision in addition to the other changes that it has already agreed upon in its resolution with OCR:

The requirement to give the complainant the right to end the informal process and begin a formal process.

1-Year Agency Response

On July 31, 2019, President Napolitano issued a revised systemwide SVSH Policy. As revised, the policy states that complainants and respondents have the right to end the informal process and begin a formal process.

Completion Date: July 2019
Response Date: July 2019

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

6-Month Agency Response

The Systemwide Title IX Office drafted revisions to the SVSH Policy specifying that the complainant has the right to end the informal process and move to a formal investigation at any time before the parties have agreed to the terms of the informal resolution. Formal review of the SVSH Policy revisions required by University procedures concluded on December 17, 2018. The Systemwide Title IX Office is considering comments received during the formal review, and will finalize the SVSH Policy and submit it to OCR for review and approval in February 2019. The University originally intended to issue the revised policy by July 2019. However, proposed federal regulations may require that the University further revise the policy, which would delay its issuance.

Estimated Completion Date: July 2019
Response Date: December 2018

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

The Office of the President has drafted necessary policy and is in the review and approval process.