Report 2022-109 Recommendation 7 Responses

Report 2022-109: California State University: It Did Not Adequately or Consistently Address Some Allegations of Sexual Harassment (Release Date: July 2023)

Recommendation #7 To: University, California State

To improve the timeliness of campuses' responses to sexual harassment allegations, the Chancellor's Office should require all campuses to track key dates and timeline extensions related to reports of sexual harassment in a consistent manner by July 2024. For example, it could require the use of a tracking spreadsheet or automated alerts to ensure that campuses
are aware of relevant deadlines and that they identify any trends in their timeliness of handling reports.

1-Year Agency Response

In June 2024, the Chancellor's Office issued guidance that clarifies the importance of consistently tracking key dates and timeline extensions for complaints and investigations under the CSU's nondiscrimination policy. It is intended to help support university campuses improve the timely completion of investigations and ensure that extensions of these deadlines are only for good cause and documented in writing. As part of this guidance, the Chancellor's Office outlined the list of key dates related to investigations of sexual harassment and specifically requires that the Title IX Coordinator/DHR Administrator adhere to these timelines. The guidance outlined the criteria for what constitutes good cause to permit timeline extensions, the procedure that should be followed, and requires this information to be maintained in the Title IX / DHR case file.

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

The Chancellor's Office's guidance document recommends that all campuses use a standardized system while is it working to identify and select a unified case management system to help support consistency in tracking key dates and timeline extensions for each campus. The guidance also refers to a workbook that includes an example tracking spreadsheet and the elements to be tracked. These documents satisfy the elements in our recommendation.

6-Month Agency Response

The Chancellor's Office is preparing to procure a systemwide electronic case management system that will serve as a repository of data and a hub for identifying trends, reporting data, and monitoring compliance with investigation and other case-related timelines. No later than July 2024, the Chancellor's Office will, in consultation with Chancellor's Office and campus stakeholders, identify the data fields campuses shall maintain in case files to ensure greater consistency and integrity of data once published.

Prior to the deployment of a systemwide case management system, the Chancellor's Office will develop a procedure to be used by all campuses to track this information using other available software tools.

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

60-Day Agency Response

The Chancellor's Office intends to procure a systemwide electronic case management system that will serve as a repository of data and a hub for identifying trends, reporting data, and monitoring compliance with investigation and other case-related timelines. No later than July 2024, the Chancellor's Office will clarify and refine the data fields to be maintained by the universities so as to ensure greater consistency and integrity of data once published.

Prior to the deployment of a systemwide case management system, the Chancellor's Office will develop a procedure to be used by all campuses to track this information using other available software tools.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2022-109

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.