UNC Title IX Task Force Recommendations Anticipated To Be Ready By End Of April

UNC Chancellor Carol Folt said Friday that she anticipates having a report from the University’s Title IX Task Force by the next Faculty Council meeting, which is on April 25.

The Task Force has been working since May of 2013 to rewrite UNC’s sexual assault policy. The tentative goal was to have had recommendations ready by the fall of last year.

“I think we are all waiting for the report from the Task Force, and I know some people wish that report would come forward,” Folt said.

Christi Hurt, Chair of the Task Force, who also served as Title IX Coordinator for an interim period, has said that the group is regularly reexamining their work and ideas on the sensitive issues.

Once a draft is completed, it will be presented for campus community feedback and then will go before administration for final review.

The Task Force was formed in response to changing federal Title IX requirements for universities and incidents on UNC’s own campus that prompted the need for change.

Folt, who spoke during Friday’s Faculty Council meeting, said she applauded the extent to which the task force is “trying to get it right.” She said a number of changes have already been implemented.

“We believe that a number of ideas that are being put forth by our Task Force are already anticipated, or would be the ones that are the guidelines, for some of that federal attention,” she said.

In January, President Barack Obama announced the creation a national task force to combat sexual assault, particularly at the university level.

The same month, Folt traveled to the White House to participate in policy discussions on a number of topics. During the trip, she spoke with the President and Vice President Joe Biden about policies regarding sexual assault on college campuses. Biden is leading the efforts of The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, as it is called.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

“There is a great deal of interest built on concern that sexual violence has reached epidemic proportions in our nation’s universities,” Folt said.

A number of representatives from UNC have participated in the on-going national conversation.

UNC graduate student Katie Akin, a member of the UNC Title IX Task Force, was invited to sit at the table next to the Vice President in February during a discussion on sexual assault. She offered several recommendations for his consideration.

Vice President Joe Biden talks with Katie Akin; Photo by David Lienemann

‹

Low-Hanging Fruit: UNC Students Bring Awareness to Sexual Violence on Campus

Fruit,” an art display at UNC last month, was meant to bring awareness to sexual violence on campus — a known, and growing, epidemic.

Survey: A Third of UNC Female Undergraduate Students Have Been Sexually Assaulted

UNC released a report Tuesday that showed one in three female undergraduate students at the school have experienced some form of sexual assault, according to a recent survey. The Association of American Universities conducted the survey in the spring of 2019 and found 35 percent of women undergraduates at UNC have experienced some form of unwanted […]

UNC Police Investigating Sexual Assault Report in Residence Hall

Editor’s Note: The following story contains mention of sexual assault that may be disturbing to some readers. The UNC Police Department is investigating a report of sexual assault, where an unidentified person purportedly followed a student into their dorm room. The university shared an Alert Carolina message on Saturday at 10:47 p.m. to inform the […]

UNC Alerts Campus Community of Multiple Sexual Assaults By Same Individual

UNC Police alerted the UNC Community Friday evening of a sexual assault at Granville Towers which happened in September. This is the third sexual assault done by the same individual between August and October this year.

U.S. Supreme Court Declines UNC Case on Sexual Assault Records

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court has ended a years-long legal battle, ensuring that UNC must turn over records of sexual misconduct to the public. In 2016, four news organizations — The Daily Tar Heel, The Charlotte Observer, The Herald-Sun of Durham and WRAL’s Capitol Broadcasting — filed a suit after UNC refused public records requests for the […]

UNC Updates Its Title IX Policy, Reflects New Federal Guidelines

UNC updated its policy for compliance under Title IX, the federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in education, to follow federal guidelines. The university shared a message with its campus community on Friday about the updated policy, which reflects the changes made by the U.S. Department of Education. Vice Chancellor for Human […]

Former UNC Basketball Player Jalek Felton Expelled for Sexual Assault, Documents Show

Former UNC basketball player Jalek Felton was expelled for sexual assault, according to records released by the school on Thursday. Felton was suspended by the university in January 2018 and sought legal counsel from Durham-based attorney Sutton & Lindsay. Later that year, Felton’s attorney Kerry Sutton said he withdrew from the university. Sutton told WCHL at the […]

Chapel Hill Police Make Arrest in Sexual Assault Case

Chapel Hill Police arrested a 46-year-old man in connection with a sexual assault that occurred earlier this month in the parking deck of an apartment complex. Authorities said Vernon Lamont Reed was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree forcible rape, robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and kidnapping. […]

Campus Safety Top of Mind at UNC Board of Trustees Meeting

Campus safety was a big topic at the UNC Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, where the issue drew attention from the administration and the student body president. The focus on safety comes after a violent sexual assault allegedly occurred in the parking lot of Shortbread Loft apartments on Rosemary Street on Friday, September 13. […]

UNC Chancellor Addresses Recent 'Disturbing Incidents' Involving Campus

UNC’s interim chancellor is addressing safety concerns on the campus following two “disturbing incidents.” Interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz issued a statement Thursday evening saying that the university is “deeply committed to ensuring that our campus, as well as the surrounding areas, are safe for our students, faculty, staff and visitors.” The message to the campus […]

›