Statement from Texas' Six Chancellors on Campus Sexual Assault Legislation
May 30, 2017 | Contact: Karen Adler: kadler@utsystem.edu or Jenny LaCoste-Caputo: jcaputo@utsystem.edu
We applaud the Texas Legislature, with a special recognition of Senators Kirk Watson and Joan Huffman and Representatives Carol Jeff Leach, Carol Alvarado, J.M. Lozano and John Zerwas for authoring legislation during the 85th Session that addressed the very important issue of campus sexual misconduct.
Our Systems stand committed to creating a safe environment for students and employees across our institutions. The legislation offered during the 85th Session, some of which passed and is now before Governor Abbott, complements what we currently do on our campuses related to allegations of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, sexual harassment and dating violence.
Our institutions will maintain our robust reporting and support mechanisms to cover instances of sexual misconduct and policies to address the critical issues that arise in these situations. These practices and policies cover several important areas, including:
- Support and counseling services for survivors through a variety of outlets, such as campus counseling and psychological services, silent witness programs, and community partnerships;
- Awareness, prevention and education initiatives, like bystander intervention initiatives, peer educator training, outreach workshops, and participation in national efforts to put an end to sexual misconduct on college campuses;
- Coordinated response protocols to reports of sexual harassment, stalking, dating violence, and unwanted sexual contact, involving entities such as our equal opportunity services offices, Title IX coordinators and offices, and campus police departments to ensure a fair and equitable process for all students involved; and
- Professional training for employees and students that covers university policies related to sexual misconduct, as well as information on how to speak up when incidents of sexual harassment, relationship violence, or sexual misconduct are observed or suspected.
As Chancellors, we are responsible to our students and employees to ensure our campuses are safe. We stand committed to working with the Texas Legislature, survivor groups and others in the interim to ensure that our sexual misconduct policies are reviewed on an annual basis and that our reporting and compliance are even more efficient and robust.
William McRaven, University of Texas System
John Sharp, Texas A&M University System
Renu Khator, University of Houston System
Lee Jackson, University of North Texas System
Robert Duncan, Texas Tech University System
Brian McCall, Texas State University System
About the Texas Tech University System
Established in 1996, the Texas Tech University System is one of the top public university systems in the state of Texas and nation, consisting
of four universities—Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Angelo State University and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.
Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the Texas Tech University System is a $2 billion enterprise focused on advancing higher education, health care, research and outreach with approximately 20,000 employees, more than 50,000 students, nearly 325,000 alumni and an endowment over $1.1 billion.
In its short history, the Texas Tech University System has grown tremendously and is nationally acclaimed, operating on more than a dozen campuses statewide and internationally. Under the dynamic leadership of Chancellor Robert L. Duncan, the Texas Tech University System has set forth a bold vision of excellence, collaboration and innovation and continues to prove that from here, it’s possible.