The Culture of Respect at Brown

 

In 2021, Brown joined NASPA's (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) Culture of Respect's Collective, a two-year program that brings together institutions of higher education that are dedicated to addressing sexual and gender based violence, guiding them through rigorous self-assessment, collaborative strategic planning, and targeted organizational change. The self-assessment is organized around six key pillars (Survivor Support, Clear Policies, Multitiered Education for the entire campus, Public Disclosures of Statistics, Schoolwide Mobilization with students, groups and leaders and Ongoing Self Assessment). These pillars outline a holistic framework to building infrastructure around interpersonal violence prevention and response. In alignment with the tradition of grassroots engagement at Brown, this initiative brings together campus organizers and practitioners who are engaged in advocacy, scholarship and support services university-wide.
 

Culture of Respect: Individualized Implementation Plan

Current Campus Update

October 2022: During the Spring, Summer and Fall ‘22 semesters, the Culture of Respect Campus Leadership Team has been working on our Individualized Implementation Plan (IIP), a set of 10 goals created in collaboration with experts at NASPA as part of our Culture of Respect cohort process. Below you will find updates and timelines on each of the 10 goals as well as a summaries of COR at Brown work to date. 

  1. Create a FAQ document to help students navigate the Title IX process: The document has been researched, written and reviewed and is now in final review. Anticipated release in early Spring ‘23.

  2. Form a working group to evaluate the support process for student respondents planning for re-entry: The working group convened several times, reviewed similar processes at peer institutions and drafted recommendations. Their final report, which includes the review and recommendations will be submitted in late Fall ‘22 for consideration.

  3. Advance efforts in annual training for all employees: A working group was established with representation from the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, the faculty, University Human Resources, Residential Life, Campus Life Central Administration Team, and BWell Health Promotion. After consultation with the Office of General Counsel, the full group will continue meeting to discuss scope of the goal, enforcement mechanisms, and timelines.

  4. Create a web-based flowchart to help students navigate campus resources: A working group has been meeting regularly to gather information about University resources. Over the summer ‘22 the group drafted the flowchart, and in the Fall ‘22 has been gathering and incorporating student feedback. A demo draft of the flowchart will be available for testing in late Fall ’22. 

  5. Establish a centralized permanent group: The charge statement and scope of this group was drafted during the summer of ‘22 and will be submitted for final approval in late Fall ’22 with intentions to convene for the first time in early Spring ‘23.

  6. Review best practices and national standards for staffing of interpersonal violence prevention and response efforts: This group completed a review of relevant staffing structures at 2 peer institutions. This review will continue into Summer ‘23 when staff capacity may increase in order to spend more time on this effort.

  7. Develop a multi-tiered interpersonal violence prevention education plan with Athletics for student athletes: The group has implemented self-led programming with BWell Health Promotion and several team-specific sessions with the Title IX and Gender Equity Office. A final draft of the education plan will be submitted for approval in late Fall ‘22.

  8. Review the current procedure used for issuing Clery “timely warnings”: The Department of Public Safety is evaluating and reviewing best practices for issuing timely warnings related to sexual violence to the campus community.

  9. Create a working group to improve accessibility of public data related to interpersonal violence: This group will convene and begin work in January ‘23.

  10. Create a feedback mechanism for students who have participated in a Title IX resolution process: This group met, reviewed best practices and developed a survey tool for implementation. The tool is in final review and approval stages and will launch by January 2023.

Previous COR Campus Updates:

February 2022: Creation and Fulfillment of Brown’s Individualized Implementation Plan
The Individualized Implementation Plan (IIP) is a set of 10 specific goals, each aimed at improving a particular part of interpersonal violence prevention and response at Brown, that were identified during the evaluation process. After an evaluation for each of the six pillars, key takeaways were identified including strengths and opportunities. Based on the opportunities identified, 1-2 SMART goals per pillar were created. Once these goals were reviewed by NASPA to ensure they were both rigorous and attainable, they became our official IIP. The campus leadership team along with partners throughout the University are in the process of implementing these IIP goals, each of which has a designated lead and anticipated completion date.

August 2021: Culture of Respect Evaluation Submitted 

April 2021: Brown Joins Culture of Respect Initiative 

Culture of Respect Campus Leadership Team 

Leading Brown’s participation in the Culture of Respect Collective is Tanya Purdy, Director BWell Health Promotion, Jeana Horton, Institutional Equity Investigator, and Ebony Manning, Title IX Coordinator. Together, they engage a Campus Leadership Team composed of stakeholders, practitioners and scholars from across the university, along with staff and students currently engaged in existing prevention and intervention efforts. The team meets both regularly and at crucial junctures to balance inclusivity and efficiency. 

Alumni Representative
Quentin Thomas, ‘21
 
Athletics and Recreation
Shoshanna Lewis, Deputy Athletic Director for Governance and Student Services
 
Warren Alpert Medical School
Lindsay Orchowski, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Research)
 
BWell Health Promotion
Tanya Purdy, MPH, Director
Alana Sacks, LICSW, Associate Director for Response Services
 
LGBTQ Center
Caitlin O’Neill, PhD, Director
 
Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity
Sana Amini,  Institutional Equity Investigator
Jeana Horton, Institutional Equity Investigator
Ebony Manning, Title IX Coordinator
 
Sarah Doyle Center for Women and Gender
Felicia Salinas-Moniz, PhD, MA, Director
 
Student Representatives
Jamila Beesley ‘22, Sexual Assault Peer Educator
Amanda Cooper ‘22, Student Athlete Advisory Committee Co-President
Isabelle Sharon ‘23.5, Campus Life Student Advisory Board
 
Transformative Justice Program
Dara Kwayera Imani Bayer ‘08, Coordinator


Questions can be directed to [email protected]