The University of California on Wednesday announced new recommendations for addressing campus sexual violence.
UC President Janet Napolitano established a task force in June to identify gaps in the system and to identify possible policy changes. That same month, the California state auditor issued a report that examined sexual assault policies at San Diego State University, University of California, Berkeley, UCLA and California State University Chico, and found them inadequate.
The UC task force's proposal includes addressing campus sexual violence, establishing “response teams" on all UC campuses by January; establishing “confidential advocacy offices" on each campus by January; creating systemwide standards for investigating and making judgments by July; and writing a training and education plan by fall 2015.
"This excellent effort by the task force and its affiliated working groups is testament to the collaborative and rigorous approach the university is taking to become the national leader in preventing and combating sexual violence and sexual assault," Napolitano said in a statement. "We seek to establish a culture of trust and safety across the entire university community."
The university system said it also will follow the affirmative consent standard in line with the so-called "Yes Means Yes" bill has yet to signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.
