Colleagues,

We know you’ve been hearing a lot in the news lately about the nation-wide concern for college students’ vulnerability to sexual assault and sexual harassment. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, we have a sincere commitment to the safety of our students, faculty and staff.

There are a number of programs and resources at Illinois to support all members of the University community. The Women’s Resource Center, the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Access, and Public Safety are all working together to address and respond to claims of sexual misconduct from students, faculty and staff. We are proud of our services and resources and the fact that many have been in place long before sexual assault on college campuses became a national issue. This brochure (http://oiir.illinois.edu/sites/prod/files/SexualMisconduct_ResourceGuide.pdf) lists other campus and community resources that are available and provides more guidance about confidential reporting and other areas of interest around sexual assault. It’s a valuable document and we want everyone to have a copy of it as we begin the new semester. It could be used if you seek to assist a student, colleague or anyone on campus who needs help.

In addition, the Illinois Student Senate worked with various student groups and university administrators to create videos as part of the It’s On Us campaign. The campaign emphasizes that everyone on campus must work together to address the issue of sexual assault. Here’s a link to their latest video: http://youtu.be/pB8yRan9BfQ.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the resources in the brochure. We wish you a safe and productive semester.

Renée Romano, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Menah Pratt-Clarke, Title IX Coordinator