Care For Students Affected By Sexual Misconduct

Dear LC Community:

As your student conduct, sexual misconduct, and gender-based violence prevention team, we are hearing the ongoing concerns about the treatment of students going through conduct investigations. We have seen the recent petition and will be responsive to this and other input as we move forward. If you are a current student in need of confidential emotional support at this time, we encourage you to reach out to a Confidential Advocate (formerly SARAs) who can help you access the support you need. If you prefer to talk to someone not affiliated with Lewis & Clark, Call to Safety’s 24-hr hotline can be reached at 1-888-235-5333 to speak with a confidential advocate and get connected with follow up support.

As survivors ourselves, we know change never comes soon enough. We intend to use our new roles on campus to help build a better, safer community. In our conduct and Title IX processes, we are incorporating mandatory legal changes, while ensuring our community standards exceed legal requirements. That includes examining the selection and training of all involved in sexual misconduct cases. Our new Title IX Coordinator, Casey Bieberich, has been reviewing and updating policy and procedures. Our Student Rights and Responsibilities office is currently led by Jessica Carron, who has a background in student conduct and restorative justice, as well as sexual misconduct prevention and advocacy, including serving on LC’s Interpersonal Violence Prevention Team, acting as a Confidential Advocate at LC, and completing the Oregon Sexual Assault Taskforce 40-hour advocate training. The Interpersonal Violence Prevention Team, coordinated by Ariella Frishberg, has been meeting for the last year and has already been implementing some prevention programming, reviewing policy, and developing methods for students to voice concerns and feedback about the TItle IX process.

Here are our current operating principles and actions to care for students affected by sexual misconduct:

• Confidential resources are available with or without a report to the College, and with or without an investigation. Resources include Confidential Advocates (formerly known as SARAs), Counseling, Student Health, Ombuds, and Religious and Spiritual Life.
• In the last year, we began the implementation of a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women to improve our prevention of and response to gender-based violence.
• This year, we created a confidential form for students and alumni to provide feedback on their experiences with our services. Individual responses are kept confidential and collected by Ariella Frishberg, our Gender Based Violence Prevention Coordinator. Aggregate information will be used to adjust practices and training.
• We treat the students involved in our process equitably, with consistent communications and equitable opportunities to engage and review evidence.
• We strive to provide trauma-informed services to LC community members who have experienced gender-based violence, including dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and staff receive training on trauma-informed care.
• We encourage students to use mental and emotional support persons during a conduct process, in addition to confidential support outside the process.
• We have begun developing an advisor program, to make trained law students available as advisors to students during a conduct process, starting this academic year.
• We respect the autonomy and choice of a person affected by sexual misconduct, including their choice about whether to pursue formal disciplinary action.

Thank you for your engagement in this important work. You can give input to us not only now, but throughout the year. Your voice in our planning is vital and welcomed.

To contact our staff with specific feedback and concerns, please reach out to:

Title IX Coordinator | Associate Dean of Equity & Inclusion
Casey Bieberich, JD | she, her, hers
bieberich@lclark.edu

Interim Director for Student Rights & Responsibilities
Jessica Carron, M. Ed. | she, her, hers
jcarron@lclark.edu

Gender Based Violence Prevention Coordinator
Ariella Frishberg | she, her, hers
afrishberg@lclark.edu