To: Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: New Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures
Date: August 17, 2020
On August 14, 2020, Wellesley College issued its new Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures. This policy replaces the previous Student Sexual Misconduct Policy and is in addition to the College’s Policy Against Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation, which has also been updated to minimize overlap with the new policy.
This policy change was required to comply with recent revisions to the federal Title IX regulations; Wellesley College participated in the formal comment process regarding the draft Title IX regulations. The final regulations were issued on May 6, 2020, and policy changes were required to be implemented by August 14, 2020.
Wellesley College remains committed to providing a safe environment that is free from discrimination and harassment for our students, faculty, and staff. The College does not tolerate sexual harassment, and we take any accusations of this conduct very seriously.
Much of the conduct prohibited under the new policies was also prohibited by past policies. The most significant policy change is the process that will be followed for conduct reported after August 14, 2020. Wellesley College is now required to hold a hearing to reach a determination regarding violations of the Interim Sexual Misconduct Policy, if the parties desire a formal resolution. An informal resolution, such as through mediation, remains an option for parties who would prefer to resolve matters without a hearing. Wellesley’s policies also continue to ensure that individuals who come forward to share experiences of sexual misconduct or other types of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation can receive supportive measures from the College regardless of whether they wish to file a formal complaint.
Over the next several weeks, Kate Upatham, Wellesley’s director of nondiscrimination initiatives and Title IX coordinator/504 coordinator, will be offering a series of virtual training sessions to faculty, staff, and students to share more information and provide opportunities to ask questions about the new policies. Anyone with questions about the new policies and procedures is encouraged to attend these sessions to learn more.
