Michigan State University is creating a new office to handle all discrimination complaints, including sexual assault and relationship violence, as part of its continued efforts to prevent, address and respond to misconduct in the campus community.
The primary responsibility for the office will be overseeing complaints made under the university’s anti-discrimination policies, including Title IX. The move comes amid conversations President Lou Anna K. Simon has had with several national Title IX experts during the past few months and as the university’s Sexual Assault Task Force submits a report on its recommendations.
“While the task force has been engaged in its efforts, we continue to work with urgency to be better tomorrow than we are today,” Simon said. “These changes reflect not only our commitment to creating a safe, respectful environment but also our desire to be among the campuses adopting best practices nationwide.”
Previously, the office that handled discrimination complaints at MSU was part of the university’s Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives. Paulette Granberry Russell will continue to lead that office and serve as the responsible administrator under federal equity regulations, including as the Title IX Coordinator, until the director of the new office has been appointed.
Simon made the decision to create a standalone office to improve response when incidents occur, a move other colleges and universities are making as well. It is another step resulting from ongoing conversations about improving MSU’s policies.
“The issue of sexual assault is rightfully becoming more prominent nationally and on our campus,” she said. “Moving forward, we need to distinguish between nondiscrimination investigative functions and our broader efforts associated with advancing student, faculty, staff diversity and inclusion.”
The university will retain the services of Rebecca Veidlinger, an experienced investigator and Title IX consultant, to provide a strategic vision for responding to complaints effectively. She will provide leadership for the equity and discrimination investigation process during the transition period, and a search will take place later this spring for a director of the new office.
In addition, a team of Title IX experts from the Pepper Hamilton law firm of Philadelphia will work with the president, Veidlinger and the new office during the initial transition. That team also will help university leaders review the task force report and determine how to best move forward based on the group’s recommendations.
“I want to thank every member of the Sexual Assault Task Force,” Simon said. “Their report gives us an opportunity to be reflective and think about the needs of our community as we refine our efforts to ensure we are meeting our obligations under law and policy.”
The reorganization also comes as MSU administers a sexual assault climate survey to all students. That survey, coordinated with the Association of American Universities, was emailed to all students via their MSU accounts on April 6.