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Dear Campus Community,
A respectful and equitable learning, living and working environment is paramount to enabling our students to achieve their educational goals and our faculty and staff to thrive personally and professionally. Our Office of Equity & Compliance (OEC) is a key campus partner and resource in this work, ensuring a campus environment free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation through awareness and prevention education as well as the prompt and equitable investigation of complaints of discrimination, harassment or retaliation, including violations of Title IX.
To provide context, and for the benefit of our students who may not have received the report since its issuance over the summer, CSUN participated in the CSU system-wide assessment last academic year to learn about our campus community’s experiences and to identify opportunities to transform and strengthen our Title IX and other anti-discrimination programs and policies in alignment with our values and commitment to a culture of care and compliance. The final report from the Cozen O’Connor Institutional Response Group’s assessment and findings of the CSU Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (DHR) Programs is available here. Our campus-specific report can be found here.
The recommendations in the Cozen report provide a new structure for our compliance efforts on campus, including oversight by the CSU Chancellor’s Office of the 23 CSU campus Title IX and DHR programs and a centralized approach to formerly campus-specific procedures and processes. Implementing the recommendations included in the Cozen report will take time, a significant infusion of resources and sustained focus. We have already begun this important work of aligning our structure and processes as required, including the infusion of resources and five additional personnel, and a new reporting structure for the Office of Equity and Compliance that further enables their work. Our implementation will be additionally guided and strengthened by the campus implementation team inclusive of faculty, staff and student leaders.
Additionally, we are currently in the process of launching a national search for an Assistant Vice President of Equity & Compliance to succeed Barrett Morris. Meanwhile, I am pleased to share that Alexandra Lohman will serve as CSUN’s Acting Title IX Coordinator and Acting Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Administrator during this transition. Ms. Lohman has an extensive legal background focused on justice and equity as a former assistant public defender with the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit and as an attorney with the Children’s Law Center of California, where she represented youth designated as victims of sexual exploitation and foster youth transitioning into adulthood to ensure their continued receipt of benefits and services. We are tremendously grateful for her service during this transition.
This is only the beginning of the important work that we will engage in to nurture and strengthen a safe and welcoming campus environment. A campus website has been established to share updates on our process. Your active review is encouraged as an important step in contributing to our successful implementation.
I am deeply appreciative of our faculty, staff and students who have contributed to this process, including participation in the Cozen review, service on the implementation team, or as ambassadors of a brighter future. I am confident that working together, we will embrace the change needed to stand firmly in our shared values. Thank you for your partnership in fostering a culture of care, compliance and belonging that facilitates a respectful, equitable and compassionate learning, living and working environment for us all.
Sincerely,
ERIKA D. BECK, PH.D.
President
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